Notre-Dame de Paris

Temples have been located at this site since time immemorial; even in the Roman era, there was a temple dedicated to Jupiter here. Later, the Merovingians, who ruled Gaul from 500-571, built the Cathedral of St. Stephen here. According to historical data, there were several other churches, both Christian and pagan, at this site before.

The Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral was founded in 1163 by Maurice de Sully, the Bishop of Paris, and the cornerstone was laid by Pope Alexander III. Its construction took almost two centuries. During this time, dozens of architects oversaw the project, but they managed to erect a beautiful and cohesive ensemble.

The construction of Notre-Dame de Paris involved many architects, but Pierre de Montreuil and Jean de Chelles are considered the main contributors. The building was laid during the reign of Louis VII. It was then that the Gothic style in architecture, which was used by the builders, became popular. This direction successfully mixed with the Romanesque style from the traditions of Normandy, giving the cathedral a unique appearance.

The construction took place in four stages under the leadership of bishops Maurice de Sully and Eudes de Sully. The first stage began with the construction of the choir and its two ambulatories, which were completed in 1177. The second stage, from 1182 to 1190, focused on the construction of four sections of the nave behind the choir and its chapels up to the height of the clerestories. The third stage included adding the transepts to the choir, where the altar was located, to bring more light into the center of the church. The fourth stage saw the construction of the western facade, which was completed around the mid-1240s.

The introduction of flying buttresses was an important innovation of the 13th century, allowing walls to be higher and thinner and to have much larger windows.

In addition, the cathedral quickly became a pilgrimage center after the Crown of Thorns, one of the most venerated Christian relics, was brought here for safekeeping. It remains in Notre-Dame to this day.

Notre-Dame played a significant role in the history of France. It was the site of the first Estates General meeting in 1302, and in the cathedral in 1431, the boy-king Henry VI of England was crowned King of France.

Starting in 1449, Notre-Dame received regular donations from the Paris guild of jewelers. In a gesture of generosity, starting in 1630, they annually gifted luxurious altar paintings on May 1st. These artworks, known as "grand mays," exclusively depicted scenes from the Acts of the Apostles. Renowned artists were responsible for their creation, and after 1648, members of the Royal Academy took over. A total of 76 such works were donated, but due to financial difficulties, this tradition was discontinued. In 1793, these artworks were confiscated; many were dispersed to museums across France's regions. In the 19th century, the remaining paintings in the cathedral were rearranged or removed. Currently, thirteen "grand mays" paintings are housed in Notre-Dame. However, following the fire in 2019, these paintings, damaged by water, were removed for restoration. The tradition of gifting valuables to the cathedral has been revived in recent times.

Moreover, Notre-Dame houses an altarpiece from 1707, depicting the Visitation, by Jean Jouvenet.

For Louis XIV, Antoine de La Porta commissioned six paintings illustrating the life of the Virgin Mary for the choir. At the same time, Charles de La Fosse created his "Adoration of the Magi," now a valued exhibit in the Louvre.

The Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris was severely damaged by clumsy reconstructions during the events of the late 18th century, and later due to public neglect. The French Revolution almost deprived the world of this unique architectural monument, with plans even made to burn it down. Numerous sculptures were smashed or beheaded, stained glass windows destroyed, and precious furnishings looted. For instance, twenty-eight statues of biblical kings on the west facade were mistakenly identified as French kings and decapitated. The building was declared the Temple of Reason, then the center of the Cult of the Supreme Being, and later simply turned into a food warehouse.

In 1801, the Concordat was signed, and Napoleon Bonaparte restored Notre-Dame to the Catholic Church. However, the official transfer only took place on April 18, 1802.

The architectural ensemble was saved from complete destruction by Victor Hugo's novel "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame," which focused on the love story of a hunchback for a beautiful gypsy. The publication not only made the writer famous but also drew public attention to the exceptional historical and aesthetic value of the ancient building.

A decision was made to reconstruct Notre-Dame using all the rules of ancient technologies. Viollet-le-Duc successfully tackled this challenging task, as the architect possessed knowledge of the construction methods of the ancient masters who worked on the building of the cathedral. The restoration of the Notre-Dame Cathedral lasted for more than a quarter of a century. During this time, the facades and interior decoration were restored, the gallery of sculptures and some gargoyles destroyed by the revolutionaries were reconstructed, and all the surviving infernal "guardians" were returned to their rightful place.

Additionally, a spire over 95 meters high was constructed and installed on the roof. In subsequent years, Parisians treated their sanctuary with extreme reverence. Notably, the cathedral was virtually unscathed during the two World Wars. At the end of the 20th century, another restoration was initiated, allowing the building to be completely cleaned of urban dust, and restoring the original golden hue to the sandstone of the facade.

During the Paris Commune in 1871, the cathedral was closed, and the Communards planned to destroy it. They gathered furniture together to burn the cathedral, but the fire was stopped when they realized that it would also destroy the neighboring Hôtel-Dieu hospital filled with hundreds of patients.

In 1980, Pope John Paul II held a mass in front of the cathedral, and François Mitterrand's requiem was held in the cathedral in 1996.

The cathedral's facade suffered from air pollution, which accelerated the erosion of decorations and changed the color of the stone. By the end of the 1980s, several gargoyles and turrets had fallen or became too unstable to remain in place. The restoration program began in 1991 and lasted ten years. The facade was replaced, preserving the authentic architectural elements of the cathedral. The cathedral's organ was modernized, and the western facade was cleaned and restored for the millennium in 1999. A discreet system of electric wires was installed on the roof to deter pigeons.

In 2013, the four 19th-century bells in the north towers of Notre-Dame were recast into bronze bells to commemorate the cathedral's 850th anniversary, designed to replicate the sound of the original 17th-century bells. Despite restorations in the 1990s, the cathedral showed signs of deterioration, leading to a new restoration program. At the end of 2018, a €6 million restoration of the cathedral's spire began, requiring the temporary removal of copper statues on the roof and other decorative elements just days before the fire in April 2019.

On December 12, 2012, Notre-Dame began its year-long celebration of the 850th anniversary of laying the cathedral's first building block.

The main facade is adorned with stone statues and has three portals. The central portal is supported by seven figures on each side, with the main decoration being relief scenes of the Last Judgment. The right portal is dedicated to Saint Anne, depicting the Blessed Virgin with the Child, and the left to the Virgin Mary, with zodiac signs and an image of the coronation of the Virgin Mary. The huge doors are decorated with wrought relief images.

The previously mentioned spire on the roof replaced the one dismantled at the end of the 18th century. The structure is adorned with four groups of apostles and corresponding evangelist animals. All the figures face the French capital, except for Saint Thomas, the patron of architects, who appears to admire the spire.

Almost all the stained glass windows are quite modern, made during the cathedral's 19th-century restoration. Only in the central rose window are some medieval parts preserved. The pattern of this large-scale structure (9.5 meters in diameter) of colored glass depicts Mary, as well as rural labor, Zodiac signs, human virtues, and sins. The north and south facades are equipped with the largest rose windows in Europe, each about 13 meters in diameter.

The most popular feature of the exterior decoration of Notre-Dame de Paris remains the stone demonic creatures. Gargoyles are abundant here and are intended not only for decoration but also for diverting water from numerous drains on the roof. The unusually complex roof structure tends to accumulate moisture from precipitation, as it cannot drain as freely as from ordinary houses. This can lead to the development of mold, dampness, and stone decay, hence quality gutters are essential for any Gothic cathedral.

The structure in the longitudinal section is a cross, at the center of which is a complex of sculptural images depicting various Gospel scenes. Interestingly, there are no internal supporting walls here, their function is performed by multifaceted columns. A large amount of artistic carving is bathed in unearthly light, which changes colors as it passes through the glass of several roses. In the right part of Notre-Dame, tourists can admire wonderful sculptures, paintings, and other works of art that are traditionally presented as gifts to the Virgin Mary every year on the first of May. The majestic central chandelier was designed by Viollet-le-Duc; after the reconstruction, it replaced the panikadilo, which was melted down during the French Revolution.

Between the portal and the higher tier is the Gallery of Kings, where sculptures of Old Testament rulers are displayed. The revolutionaries ruthlessly destroyed the original statues, so they had to be remade. In the late 20th century, fragments of individual sculptures were found under one of the Parisian houses. It turned out that the owner had bought them during turbulent times to bury them with honors, and later built his house on this site.

One cannot fail to mention the magnificent organ installed in Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. It was equipped at the time of the church's construction, has been rebuilt and reconstructed numerous times. Today, this organ is the largest in France in terms of registers and the second-largest in terms of pipes, some of which have been preserved since the Middle Ages.

Before the construction of the Eiffel Tower in 1889, the two towers of Notre-Dame were the tallest structures in Paris, reaching 69 meters in height. They were the last major components of the cathedral to be built at the end. The construction of the south tower began between 1220 and 1240, while the north tower was built later, between 1235 and 1250. The new north tower was slightly larger than the south, and its buttress, or support, was also larger.

Visitors could climb the south tower, ascending a staircase on the south side, which has 387 steps and leads to a Gothic hall at the level of the rose window. From there, visitors could enjoy views of the city and view a collection of paintings and sculptures from earlier periods of the cathedral's history. Both towers, north and south, house the cathedral's 14 bells.

The south tower of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris is accessed by a spiral staircase of 387 steps, climbing which one can see the cathedral's main bell, Emmanuel, and closely observe the gargoyles. It is believed that they watch the west so attentively because they await sunset, after which they come to life every night.

The cathedral's spire, or fleche, was located above the transept. The original spire was built in the 13th century and was removed in 1786 due to damage caused by wind over the centuries. During the 19th-century restoration, Eugène Viollet-le-Duc decided to recreate the spire and created a new version made of oak, covered with lead, weighing 750 tons.

The reconstructed spire was surrounded by copper statues of the twelve apostles, in front of each group of which was a symbol representing one of the four evangelists. Shortly before the fire that damaged the cathedral, the statues were removed for restoration. The rooster weathervane on the spire contained three relics: a tiny piece of the Crown of Thorns in the cathedral's treasury, as well as relics of Saint Denis and Saint Genevieve, patrons of Paris. They were placed there in 1935 by Archbishop Jean Verdier to protect parishioners from lightning or other disasters. The rooster with the unharmed relics was found in the ruins after the fire.

The stained glass of Notre-Dame is world-renowned, especially its three rose windows. The western rose window, created around 1225, was the smallest and first of the cathedral's roses, measuring 9.6 meters in diameter. None of the original glass survives in this window, however, as it was restored in the 19th century. The southern window, 12.9 meters in diameter, contains 94 medallions in four circles, depicting scenes from the life of Christ and other significant figures. The southern rose window was a gift from King Louis IX of France, known as Saint Louis.

The southern rose has had a tumultuous history, surviving destruction and damage over the centuries. It was severely damaged during the 1830 French Revolution and completely rebuilt in 1861 by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, containing both medieval and 19th-century glass. In the 1960s, it was decided to replace many of the 19th-century windows in the nave with new ones designed by Jacques Le Chevallier. These new windows use abstract designs and color to try to recreate the 13th-century cathedral's interior luminosity.

The massive fire that engulfed Notre-Dame in 2019 left the three large medieval rose windows virtually untouched, although one was unstable and at risk, requiring dismantling. Fortunately, most other damaged windows were of much lesser historical value.

Notre-Dame Cathedral was originally built without a crypt, unlike some other French cathedrals. In the Middle Ages, people were buried directly in the church floor or in above-ground sarcophagi, some of which were adorned with images of the deceased. The choir and apse were reserved for high-ranking clergy and the royal family, while the nave and chapels were used for less noble clergy and laity. Unfortunately, a complete record of all those buried during this time has not been preserved.

In 1699, a major renovation project led to the disturbance or covering up of many graves in the choir. All exhumed remains were reburied in a mass grave next to the main altar. In 1711, a small crypt about six by six meters in size was dug in the center of the choir for the burial of archbishops who did not wish to be buried elsewhere. A larger crypt was also built under the nave in 1765 for the burials of canons, beneficiaries, chaplains, singers, and choristers. Between 1771 and 1773, the cathedral floor was re-tiled with black and white marble slabs, covering most of the remaining graves, preventing their disturbance during the Revolution.

In 1858, the choir crypt was expanded to nearly the full length of the choir, and during this project, many medieval tombs were discovered. Similarly, the nave crypt was discovered in 1863 when a large pit was dug for the installation of a furnace heater. Many other graves are also located in the chapels.

The organ in Notre-Dame has been modified and restored multiple times throughout its history. Originally built in 1403 by Frederic Schambantz, the instrument was replaced and reconstructed several times, with Aristide Cavaillé-Coll building a new organ in 1868 using pipes from previous instruments. Charles Mutin modified it in 1904, and an electric blower was installed in 1924. Additional restoration work was carried out in 1932 and 1963, and the stop list was gradually modified in the following years.

Between 1990 and 1992, the organ was revised and expanded, and from 2012-2014, it underwent major restoration, including the modernization of stops and keyboards, the creation of a new enclosed section, and the restoration of the organ case and facade pipes. The current organ has 115 stops on five manuals and pedal, as well as over 8,000 pipes.

Besides the main organ, there is a middle choir organ and a one-keyboard continuo organ in the cathedral. The Grand Organ suffered minor damage during the fire in April 2019 and only requires cleaning.

Notre-Dame Cathedral has ten bells, with the largest, Emmanuel and Marie, installed in the south tower, and the others in the north tower. The bells, made of bronze for its resonance and resistance to corrosion, have played a significant role in memorable national and international events. Traditionally, the Bishop of Paris consecrated and baptized the bells, and a godfather gave them names. The bells were hoisted into the towers through circular openings and installed on bearings, allowing them to swing on a straight axis. This ringing style produces a pure tone but also generates horizontal forces that can damage the fragile stone masonry of the towers, so the bells are installed in wooden belfries. The practice of ringing in Notre-Dame dates back to 1198, and the bells were used to mark civil hours and call for the Angelus prayer. During the French Revolution, most bells were dismantled and melted down. New bells were made during the 19th-century restoration, and there were also smaller secondary bells in the cathedral, which were destroyed in the 2019 fire.

Notre-Dame originally used water clocks to determine time and mark the hours with bell strikes. In the 14th century, two such devices were used simultaneously: one in the monastery and the other in the church. A secular chamberlain monitored their water filling and signaled the bailiff to strike the bells.

In 1766, two canons donated mechanical clocks to the cathedral, which were installed under the north rose window and rang three bells above the north portal. Later, the clocks and bells were moved to the north tower, and a 1.34-meter diameter dial was installed inside the church.

During the 19th-century restoration by Viollet-le-Duc, new 2-meter clocks were made, controlling four mansard dials on the roofs of the transept. However, these clocks were destroyed in the fire. After the incident, a clockmaker found an almost identical Collin-Wagner mechanism from 1867 in the Sainte-Trinité church in Paris. Although it cannot be installed in Notre-Dame, there is hope that it will be used to create new clocks to the same specifications as the destroyed ones.

On April 15, 2019, a fire broke out in the attic of Notre-Dame Cathedral, destroying its spire and the oak beams supporting the lead roof. Due to incorrect actions by cathedral staff and security, the fire department was notified about the fire 30 minutes later.

Firefighters arrived in less than ten minutes, but the cathedral's spire collapsed at 19:50, taking with it 750 tons of stone and lead. The firefighters managed to bring the fire under control by 21:45, saving the main structure, facade, towers, walls, supports, and stained glass. However, the Great Organ, with over 8,000 pipes, suffered water damage.

French President Emmanuel Macron promised that the cathedral would be restored within five years. Funds for the restoration were allocated from the French budget, and many French businessmen donated money. Part of the funds came from donations from people and organizations around the world.

In October 2019, the French government announced that the first phase of reconstruction, stabilizing the structure to prevent collapse, would last until the end of 2020, and reconstruction would begin in early 2021.

In 2022, before the restoration of the spire, preventive excavations revealed several statues and tombs under the cathedral, including a 14th-century lead sarcophagus found 20 meters deep under the crossing of the transept and the 12th-century nave of the church.

The cathedral is planned to reopen to visitors in December 2024.