- Also called:
- Notre-Dame Cathedral
Notre-Dame de Paris
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What is Notre-Dame de Paris?
Notre-Dame de Paris, the cathedral of Paris, stands as a renowned symbol of the French capital. This famous Gothic cathedral is celebrated for its size, antiquity, and architectural significance.
Located on the Ăle de la CitĂ©, it was built upon the ruins of earlier churches and a Gallo-Roman temple dedicated to Jupiter. Construction began in 1163, with ongoing additions through 1330. The western facade is a distinguishing feature, including the Gallery of Kings and sculpted portals.
After the French Revolution, Napoleon rescued the cathedral from potential destruction, and Victor Hugo's novel Notre-Dame de Paris inspired major renovations in the mid-19th century. A fire in April 2019 destroyed the roof and spire, but the cathedral reopened on December 8, 2024.
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Where is Notre-Dame de Paris located?
Notre-Dame de Paris, a famous Gothic cathedral, is on the eastern end of the Ăle de la CitĂ© in Paris. Built on the site of earlier churches and a Gallo-Roman temple, construction began in 1163 and continued until 1345. The cathedral suffered damage over the centuries but was saved from destruction during the French Revolution by Napoleon I. After a major fire in April 2019, which destroyed the roof and spire, Notre-Dame underwent restoration and reopened to the public on December 8, 2024.
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When and why was Notre-Dame de Paris built?
Construction of Notre-Dame de Paris began in 1163 under Bishop Maurice de Sully during the reign of King Louis VII, with the foundation stone laid by Pope Alexander III. Building continued until 1330, with additional embellishments in the subsequent 100 years.
Sully initiated the cathedral to replace two earlier basilicas with a single, larger structure in the new Gothic style. The flying buttress, a key structural innovation, added exterior beauty and allowed for soaring interior columns.
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What architectural style is Notre-Dame de Paris known for?
Notre-Dame de Paris is celebrated as a prime example of Gothic architecture. This cathedral showcases the move away from the Romanesque architectural style, embracing innovative engineering and naturalistic decorations.
Key features of Notre-Dame include its flying buttresses, which support the building's high vaults, allowing for slender internal supports and large windows. The rose windows are also notable, with their delicate tracery and stained glass.
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What are some important features inside and outside the cathedral?
Notre-Dame de Paris, a famous Gothic cathedral, has many notable features both inside and out.
Key exterior elements include flying buttresses, which are external arched structures that support the building's high vaults, and the western facade, which has the Gallery of Kings (a row of sculptures), a rose window, the Gallery of Chimeras, two towers, and three portals with sculptures. Gargoyles, waterspouts that drain water, also adorn the outside.
Inside, the cathedral has a choir and apse, a short transept, and a nave with aisles and chapels. The three great rose windows are known for their 13th-century glass and carved stone tracery.
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How has Notre-Dame de Paris been affected by recent events, such as the 2019 fire?
Notre-Dame de Paris, a renowned Gothic cathedral on the Ăle de la CitĂ©, has faced significant challenges recently. On April 15, 2019, a fire erupted during a restoration project, causing extensive damage. The blaze destroyed much of the roof, the 19th-century spire, and some of the rib vaulting. Firefighters managed to save the towers, relics, and rose windows. The cause was accidental, potentially linked to cigarettes or electrical issues. The cathedral reopened on December 8, 2024, after restoration.
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Notre-Dame de Paris, cathedral church in Paris. It is the most famous of the Gothic cathedrals of the Middle Ages and is distinguished for its size, antiquity, and architectural interest.
Notre-Dame lies at the eastern end of the Ăle de la CitĂ© and was built on the ruins of two earlier churches, which were themselves predated by a Gallo-Roman temple dedicated to Jupiter. The cathedral was initiated by Maurice de Sully, bishop of Paris, who about 1160 conceived the idea of converting into a single building, on a larger scale, the ruins of the two earlier basilicas. The foundation stone was laid by Pope Alexander III in 1163, and the high altar was consecrated in 1189. The choir, the western facade, and the nave were completed by 1250, and porches, chapels, and other embellishments were added over the next 100 years.
Notre-Dame Cathedral consists of a choir and apse, a short transept, and a nave flanked by double aisles and square chapels. Its central spire was added during restoration in the 19th century, replacing the original, which had been completely removed in the 18th century because of instability. The interior of the cathedral is 427 by 157 feet (130 by 48 meters) in plan, and the roof is 115 feet (35 meters) high. Two massive early Gothic towers (1210â50) crown the western facade, which is divided into three stories and has its doors adorned with fine early Gothic carvings and surmounted by a row of figures of Old Testament kings. The two towers are 223 feet (68 meters) high; the spires with which they were to be crowned were never added. At the cathedralâs east end, the apse has large clerestory windows (added 1235â70) and is supported by single-arch flying buttresses of the more daring Rayonnant Gothic style, especially notable for their boldness and grace. The cathedralâs three great rose windows alone retain their 13th-century glass.
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Notre-Dame Cathedral suffered damage and deterioration through the centuries. After the French Revolution it was rescued from possible destruction by Napoleon, who crowned himself emperor of the French in the cathedral in 1804. Notre-Dame underwent major restorations by the French architect EugĂšne-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc in the mid-19th century. The popularity of Victor Hugoâs historical novel Notre-Dame de Paris (1831), wherein the cathedral is the setting, was said to have inspired the renovations. In the 21st century, the cathedral was undergoing a restoration campaign when a fire broke out on April 15, 2019, in the cathedralâs attic. The massive blaze destroyed most of the roof, Viollet-le-Ducâs 19th-century spire, and some of the rib vaulting. Pres. Emmanuel Macron immediately promised that the cathedral would be rebuiltâultimately setting a timetable of five years. Notre-Dame reopened to the public on December 8, 2024, to much fanfare following a restoration project estimated to cost upward of âŹ700 million ($767 million).