Description of the attraction
Notre Dame Cathedral is one of the most famous temples in the world, an outstanding architectural monument, sung by poets, writers and artists.
The slender mass of the cathedral on the Ile de la Cité is visible from afar. When the Roman emperor Constantine at the beginning of the 4th century recognized Christianity, the church of St. Stephen appeared here on the site of a former pagan temple. In the middle of the 12th century, it no longer accommodated believers. Under King Louis VII the Young and Bishop Maurice de Sully, it was decided to build a grandiose cathedral.
The first stone was laid in 1163 in the presence of Pope Alexander III. It was the time of the appearance in Europe of a new, heaven-directed architectural style - Gothic, and the cathedral became its embodiment.
Construction lasted from 1163 to 1345. First, the choir and naves were erected, the facade began in 1208, in 1250 two huge facade towers were completed. With the growth of the cathedral, dangerous tensions in the load-bearing walls were revealed; in the 14th century, huge flying buttresses were erected around the nave and choir, giving the building an unusual look. Alterations continued for centuries: in 1699, by order of Louis XIV, the choir was rebuilt, the cross partition was replaced with a lace, wrought iron.
Growing up in the center of Paris, the cathedral was huge: 128 meters long, 48 meters wide. It accommodates 9 thousand worshipers. The towers rise to a height of 69 meters, the spire - 90 meters. The building is decorated with huge rose windows with a diameter of 13 meters. The portals are lavishly decorated with sculptural compositions. The central one, on the western facade, depicts the Last Judgment: the dead rise from their graves, the Archangel Michael weighs souls, Satan is trying to prevent him. On the western side, there is a portal dedicated to the Virgin Mary, her death and the Assumption. The compositions on the south side are dedicated to Saint Stephen, on the north - the childhood of Jesus. You can look at them for hours. The cathedral is also known for chimeras and gargoyles, looking down at Paris. Gargoyles have a prosaic purpose: they serve as drains for rainwater.
The interior is famous for stained glass windows depicting scenes from the life of Saint Genevieve, the patroness of Paris. In the chapels of the nave, there are thirteen magnificent paintings of the 17th-18th centuries dedicated to the deeds of the holy apostles. Statue of Madonna and Child in the southeastern part of the transept - mid-14th century.
In the 16th century, this splendor was destroyed by the Huguenots, the French Revolution in the 18th century turned the plundered cathedral into a temple of Reason, and then into a warehouse. The church was re-consecrated in 1802, and Napoleon was crowned here. However, the building was dilapidated, and we were talking about its demolition. In 1831, Victor Hugo published the novel Notre Dame Cathedral, which drew general attention to the fate of the temple. Tourists flocked here, and in 1845 the restoration of the cathedral began.
Notre-Dame de Paris is the very history of France: the first French parliament was opened here, kings were crowned and married, Jeanne d'Arc was rehabilitated. On the day of the Liberation, de Gaulle prayed here, and here the nation saw off the great Frenchman on his last journey. Since the end of the 12th century, the bells of the cathedral have been ringing over Paris - on happy, sad and ordinary days.
On a note
- Location: 6, Place du Parvis Notre Dame, Paris.
- Nearest metro stations: Cité, Saint-Michel, Hôtel de Ville, Châtelet.
- Official website:
- Opening hours: Monday to Friday 08.00-18.45; Saturday and Sunday 8.00-19.15. Visiting the treasury and towers - on weekdays from 9.30 to 18.00, on Saturdays - from 9.30 to 23.00, and on the last day of the week from 13.30 to 23.00. From October to March, tourists are allowed to visit the towers from 10.00 to 17.30.
- Tickets: admission to the cathedral is free. Tickets for the tower: adults - 9 euros, young people 18-25 years old - 5 euros, children under 18 years old - free. Tickets to the treasury: adults - 3 euros, young people 18-25 years old - 2 euros, children under 18 years old - 1 euro.
