Notre-Dame

The heart of the country, both geographically and spiritually, the Cathedral of Notre-Dame (Our Lady) stands majestic on the Ile de la Cité. After Pope Alexander III laid the foundation stone in 1163, an army of craftsmen toiled for 170 years to realize Bishop Maurice de Sully’s magnificent design. Almost destroyed during the Revolution, the Gothic masterpiece was restored in 1841–64 by architect Viollet-le-Duc. Some 130 m (430 ft) in length with a high-vaulted nave and double side aisles, it also contains France’s largest organ.

  • 6 Parvis Notre-Dame-Place Jean-Paul II, 75004

  • 01 53 10 07 00 (towers)

  • 01 42 34 56 10 (cathedral)

  • Open: cathedral 8am–6:45pm daily (to 7:15pm Sat–Sun); towers Apr–Sep: 10am–6:30pm daily (to 11pm Sat–Sun Jun–Aug); Oct–Mar: 10am–5:30pm daily

  • Adm: €7.50, (€4.80 18–25s, under-18s free, free 1st Sun of month)


Cathedral Guide

Enter through the West Front. The stairs to the towers are outside to your left. Ahead, the central nave soars to a height of 35 m (115 ft), while 37 side chapels line the walls. These contain the “May” paintings by Charles le Brun, donated by the goldsmiths’ guild each May in the 17th–18th centuries. The fine transept across the nave is the best place to admire the three rose windows. Remnants of the 14th-century stone screen can be seen on the north and south bays of the chancel. Nicolas Coustou’s Pietà stands behind the high altar, flanked by statues of Louis XIII by Coustou and Louis XIV by Antoine Coysevox.


Notre-Dame seen from the River Seine

There are cafés opposite the Square Jean XXIII.


Free organ recitals on Sunday afternoons.


Share your travel recommendations on traveldk.com


NOTE

For more Paris churches see Places of Worship.

Top 10 Features

  1. West Front

    The glorious entrance to the cathedral is through three elaborately carved portals. Biblical scenes, painted in the Middle Ages, represent the life of the Virgin, the Last Judgment and the Life of St Anne. Above is the Gallery of Kings of Judaea and Israel.

  2. Portal of the Virgin

    The splendid stone tympanum was carved in the 13th century and shows the Virgin Mary’s death and glorious coronation in heaven. However, the Virgin and Child carving seen between the doors is a modern work of art.

  3. Flying Buttresses

    The striking buttresses supporting the cathedral’s east façade are by Jean Ravy and have a span of 15 m (50 ft). The best view is from Square Jean XXIII.

  4. The Towers

    The twin towers are 69 m (226 ft) high: visitors can climb the 387 steps of the north tower for splendid vistas over Paris. The south tower houses the Emmanuel Bell, weighing 13 tonnes.

  5. Galerie des Chimères

    Lurking between the towers are the famous gargoyles (chimères), placed here by Viollet-le-Duc to ward off evil.

  6. The Spire

    The 90-m (295-ft) spire was added by Viollet-le-Duc. Next to the Apostles statues on the roof is one of the architect, admiring his work.

  7. Rose Windows

    Three great rose windows adorn the north, south and west façades, but only the north window retains its 13th-century stained glass, depicting the Virgin surrounded by figures from the Old Testament. The south window shows Christ encircled by the Apostles.

  8. Statue of the Virgin and Child

    Also known as Notre-Dame de Paris (Our Lady of Paris), this beautiful 14th-century statue was brought to the cathedral from the chapel of St Aignan. It stands against the southeast pillar of the transept, at the entrance to the chancel.

  9. Choir Stalls

    More than half of the original stalls commissioned by Louis XIV survive. Among the beautifully carved work on the 78 stalls are scenes from the Life of the Virgin.

  10. Treasury

    Ancient manuscripts, reliquaries and religious garments are housed in the sacristy. The Crown of Thorns and a piece of the True Cross are on public view every Good Friday.

Famous Visitors to Notre-Dame

  1. Joan of Arc

    The French patriot Jeanne d’Arc (1412–31), who defended her country against the invading English, had a posthumous trial here in 1455, despite having been burnt at the stake 24 years earlier. At the re-trial she was found to be innocent of heresy.

    Joan of Arc

  2. François II and Mary Stuart

    Mary Stuart (1542–87) (Mary Queen of Scots) had been raised in France and married the Dauphin in 1558. He ascended the throne as François II in 1559 and the king and queen were crowned in Notre-Dame.

  3. Napoleon

    The coronation of Napoleon (1769–1821) in Notre-Dame in 1804 saw the eager general seize the crown from Pope Pius VII and crown himself emperor and his wife Josephine, empress.

    Napoleon

  4. Josephine

    Josephine’s (1763–1814) reign as Empress of France lasted only five years; Napoleon divorced her in 1809.

    Empress Josephine

  5. Pope Pius VII

    In 1809 Pope Pius VII (1742– 1823), who oversaw the Notre-Dame coronation, was taken captive when the emperor declared the Papal States to be part of France. The pope was imprisoned at Fontainebleau, 50 km (30 miles) south of Paris.

  6. Philip the Fair

    In 1302 the first States General parliament was formally opened at Notre-Dame by Philip IV (1268–1314), otherwise known as Philip the Fair. He greatly increased the governing power of the French royalty.

  7. Henry VI of England

    Henry VI (1421–71) became King of England at the age of one. Like his father, Henry V, he also claimed France and was crowned in Notre-Dame in 1430.

  8. Marguerite of Valois

    In August 1572, Marguerite (1553–1589), sister of Charles IX, stood in the Notre-Dame chancel during her marriage to the protestant Henri of Navarre (1553–1610), while he stood alone by the door.

  9. Henri of Navarre

    As a Protestant Huguenot, Henri’s marriage to the Catholic Marguerite resulted in uprising and massacres. In 1589 he became Henri IV, the first Bourbon king of France, and converted to Catholicism, declaring that “Paris is well worth a mass”.

  10. Charles de Gaulle

    On 26 August 1944, Charles de Gaulle entered Paris and attended a Te Deum service to celebrate the liberation of Paris, despite the fact that hostile snipers were still at large both inside and outside the cathedral.

NOTE

For more information see Historical Events in Paris.

NOTE

For more information see Historical Novels set in Paris

The Man Who Saved Notre-Dame

By 1831, when Victor Hugo’s novel Notre-Dame de Paris (The Hunchback of Notre-Dame) was published, the cathedral was in a sorry state of decay. Even for the crowning of Emperor Napoleon in 1804, the setting for such ceremonious state occasions was crumbling and had to be disguised with wall hangings and ornamentation. During the Revolution, the cathedral was even sold to a scrap dealer, but was never actually demolished. Hugo was determined to save the country’s spiritual heart and helped mount a successful campaign to restore Notre-Dame before it was too late; the man chosen to design and oversee the restoration was Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc (1814–1879). Paris-born, Viollet-le-Duc had already proved his skill in restoration work, as evidenced by the cathedrals in Amiens and Laon, and on the spectacular walled city of Carcassone in southern France. Work began in 1841 and continued for 23 years until the building was finished more or less as we see it today. Viollet-le-Duc later went on to restore Sainte-Chapelle nearby.

Novelist Victor Hugo Top 10 Events in Notre-Dame History

  1. Construction on the cathedral begins (1163)

  2. St Louis places the Crown of Thorns here temporarily (1239)

  3. Construction is completed (1334)

  4. Re-trial of Joan of Arc (1455)

  5. Crowning of Emperor Napoleon (1804)

  6. Publication of Hugo’s novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831)

  7. Completion of 23-year restoration programme (1864)

  8. Assassination attempt on Charles de Gaulle (1944)

  9. De Gaulle’s Requiem Mass is held (1970)

  10. Visit of Pope John Paul II (1980)

..................Content has been hidden....................

You can't read the all page of ebook, please click here login for view all page.
Reset
3.21.100.34