Notre-Dame Cathedral

So, because of the Notre-Dame fire I was reminded of our trip to Paris. I will add more photos from Paris in a while, but today just one photo of the Notre-Dame Cathedral.

The Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral is one of the most famous and iconic buildings in Paris, and in all of France. Its history stretches back more than 800 years and is tied to many legends and events that have shaped its form and significance.

Let’s start with the cathedral’s construction. Work began in 1163 and continued for more than 170 years. The cathedral was built in the Gothic style, which at the time was innovative and extremely ambitious. Architects changed during the construction, which resulted in the cathedral having a slightly different style than many other Gothic buildings.

During the French Revolution in the 18th century the cathedral was damaged, and many of its elements were destroyed. One of the major losses was the destruction of the three southern portals, which featured sculptures and other decorations. In the 19th century Notre-Dame was restored and many of the lost elements were recreated.

The Notre-Dame Cathedral is also connected with many legends and events that have become part of Paris’s history. One legend is that of Quasimodo, the cathedral’s bell ringer, who had a deformed face. According to the legend, Quasimodo fell in love with the beautiful Esmeralda, who was imprisoned in the cathedral by an evil sorcerer. This tale was told by Victor Hugo in his novel "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame".

Another legend is that of the Archer of Notre-Dame, who was said to warn Parisians of approaching danger. According to the legend, when an enemy army neared Paris, the Archer would warn the inhabitants by shooting from the cathedral in the direction of the enemy.

The Notre-Dame Cathedral was also witness to many important historical events, such as the coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte as Emperor of the French in 1804, and the execution of Louis XVI during the French Revolution.

In 2019 the Notre-Dame Cathedral caught fire, which destroyed the cathedral’s spire and part of the roof. However, thanks to rapid rescue efforts many valuable works of art and artifacts were saved, and the cathedral is currently being rebuilt to restore it to its former glory.