There is so much to see in Paris, but the most important thing for me was Notre Dame Cathedral. Before leaving the states, we booked a private tour and I'm so glad that we did, as not only were we able to cut the line to get in to the church, but we learned so much about the history of the church, the architecture, the fire and rebuild. Notre Dame is a medieval Catholic cathedral located on the Isle de la Cite (an island on the Seine) and is considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture. It's pioneering use of the rib vault and flying buttresses set it apart from earlier styles. It has three pipe organs and massive church bells. Notre Dame was built over a one hundred year period, completed around 1260. It suffered extensive description during the French Revolution, when much of its religious imagery was damaged or destroyed and the building was used as a wine storehouse. In April 2019, the cathedral caught fire and the forest inside was destroyed - at least 1/3 of our tour was about the fire and incredible rebuild. The original roof was built using 5,000 French oak trees - the density and complexity of the lattice framework gave it the nickname "The Forest". During the rebuild, architects and foresters selected thousands of 150-200 year old oak trees from public and private land across the country. So much of what we know today about the architecture of the church was gleaned during the rebuild. Ubisoft, the manufacturer of Assassin's Creed, greatly assisted in the rebuild, as it had previously mapped the location for a video game. One of the more interesting things we learned was that Victor Hugo's novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame, inspired renewed interest in the cathedral, leading not only to a restoration but an influx of tourists that continues today.
Although you cannot really tell, the bell towers are not symmetrical, they are slightly different in size. One of the biggest concerns during the fire was the heat from the fire causing one or both of the bells to drop, which would have completely destroyed the church. Thankfully, they did not.
The famous gargoyles also played a role in saving the church during the fire. The primary purpose of the gargoyles is as a rainwater drainage system, channeling rainwater way from the cathedral walls and foundations. During the fire, the extreme heat melted the 460 tons of lead in the roof and spire of Notre Dame. The melting led funneling through the gargoyles, away from the structure (many sustained damage); without the gargoyles the weight of the melting lead would have caused the cathedral to collapse.
The inside of Notre Dame was cleaned during the fire restoration process. Tourists who visited before the fire are now shocked by how light and clean the church is inside.
The south rose window, created around 1260. The south rose window has 94 medallions, arranged in four circles, depicting scenes from the life of Christ. The 16 windows below are painted images of the prophets, painted during the restoration in the 19th century.
Notre Dame is home to many religious relics, including the Crown of Thorns. The relic is a 8.25 inch circular braid of bundled rushes. It was acquired by King Louis IX in 1239 and is displayed inside a crystal and gold tube. While scientific methods cannot definitely prove that it was the exact crown placed on Jesus, historian records trace its lineage and ownership back more than 1,000 years. It was rescued during the 2019 fire by firemen and clergy. The crown is displayed every Friday afternoon and so we were lucky to see it.
The north rose window, created around 1250.
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