Dominating the Paris landscape from the Montmartre hill, the stunning white Sacre Coeur basilica is a must-see for any visitor to Paris.

Inside are striking stained glass windows and a brilliant mosaic, but outside, climbing the dome to find panoramic views stretching to the city limits, it's easy to stumble upon whimsical and beautiful architectural touches, like the gargoyle that looks over the Montmartre village.

The creature carved into the Sacre Coeur inspires the imagination with its open mouth, as though it's almost possible to hear it cry. While appreciating its beauty, it's also useful to appreciate the story of how gargoyles were derived. In the middle ages, legend has it that a fierce, fiery dragon lived in a cave on the river Seine and demanded annual sacrifices of maidens and seamen from the residents of Rouen. Finally, St. Romanus saved the city by placating the dragon with a cross, and then mounted the creature's head and neck on a wall, which has served as a template for gargoyles ever since.

Derived from the French word "gargouille" - which means throat- gargoyles were originally used in gothic cathedrals to appeal to illiterate churchgoers who responded to visual representations of biblical stories.

In the beginning they served the practical purpose of directing water away from the building, but by the time the first stone was laid for the Sacre Coeur in 1875, pipes and gutters were more common, so gargoyles (or grotesques, as non-water-carrying carvings are called) remained for artistic, spiritual, and symbolic reasons.

The gargoyle on the Sacre Coeur is not particularly extravagant, but its simplicity gives more freedom to the imagination. Jutting out of the side of the dome, which rises almost 200 meters above sea level, it overlooks the rooftops of Paris and the bohemian neighborhood of Montmartre, where visitors can meander among Picasso's studio, Van Gogh's apartment, and the Moulin Rouge within blocks of the cathedral.

Carved out of Chateau-Landon stone, which bleaches with age and thus gives the basilica its striking whiteness, the gargoyle hints at spirituality, history, and legend.

After visiting the Sacre Coeur it's hard to forget the gorgeous interior of the basilica and the striking views from the top of the dome. But it's also impossible to forget the gargoyle, which remains in memory long afterwards with its unique, simple features and haunting open-mouth cry.

Click here to read Valerie Haynes Perry's feature on the Sacré-Coeur Basilica.

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This article is republished with the authorization of Paris Eiffel Tower News - a great guide for a Paris vacation. Copyright (c) 2004 Paris Eiffel Tower News - All rights reserved.