Notre Dame … You know – where the hunchback lives

May 17, 2015 by aearts Leave a comment

Cathedrale Notre-Dame or Notre Dame de Paris (Our lady of Paris) is widely considered to be the worlds finest example of French Gothic Architecture. Construction started in 1163 (see Paris Stone for more info on the building stone) and it was completed in 1345. There have been numerous additions, modifications and restorations over the centuries and so in reality they have been working on this Cathedral for over 850 years. It should therefore be no surprise the detail and craftmenship take your breath away.

This Roman Catholic Cathedral was made famous with Victor Hugo’s book ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ in 1831. The Cathedral was the main character of the book as Hugo wanted to bring attention to the disrepair the church had fallen into after being desecrated during the French Revolution in the 1790s. The popularity of the book pushed to have the Cathedral restored and in 1845 work began.

Some stained glass windows were destroyed by stray bullets during WWII but for the most part, Paris remained intact. The story goes that Hitler had one of his best generals in charge of destroying Paris … but, the general had fallen in love with the city. All the monuments and historic buildings had explosives attached (including the Eiffel Tower which was set to fall across the Seine and block the river) but when the time came to destroy them – he just couldn’t do it.

When you think of Gothic Architecture, you think of the flying buttresses ( which supported the structure from the outside allowing for vaulted ceilings and high windows in the inside)

Some of the Gargoyles , which are really just fancy water spouts

You can get up close and personal with the chimeras when you clumb the tower

The entrance to the Bell Tower

No shortage of people posing as Quasimodo with the bell

Huge Gothic arches over the nave

An original Rose window with it’s medeval stained glass. Some of the stained glass windows were enlarged during the 1845 restoration and the original glass was replaced.