Notre Dame de Paris: Iconic French Cathedral and Its Enduring Legacy

Introduction to Notre Dame de Paris

Notre Dame de Paris is, without doubt, one of the most enduring symbols of the city. While not the largest cathedral in France, it stands as one of the most remarkable examples of Gothic art. Situated in the eastern part of the Île de la Cité, its facade faces west and overlooks the Place Notre Dame, home to the point zéro (zero point) from which all distances in France are measured. Its dimensions are impressive: 130 meters long, 48 meters wide, and 69 meters high.

Architectural Marvels of the Facade

The facade features three magnificent portals:

• The central and most significant is the Portal of the Last Judgment. It displays intricate sculptures representing the resurrection of the dead, an angel with a weighing scale for virtues and sins, and demons taking the souls of sinners—images that undoubtedly held great sway in the popular imagination of the Middle Ages.
• The two side portals are consecrated to the Virgin Mary and Saint Anne, her mother.

Approximately 20 meters above the ground, a gallery of 28 statues rises above the portals. Each statue, 3.5 meters high, represents one of the 28 Kings of Judah who preceded the arrival of Christ. Only fragments of the original medieval statues remain, as they were destroyed during the French Revolution.

Above the gallery of kings, the large circular stained-glass Rose Window, nearly 10 meters in diameter, stands out as one of the facade's most prominent features. However, this central window is not the largest in the cathedral, as the north and south facades boast windows 13 meters in diameter. Above the Rose Window, a row of columns and then the two iconic bell towers complete the west facade.

Historical Foundations and Construction

The location of the cathedral has a long history of religious activity. The Celtic tribe of the Parisii, the island's first inhabitants, apparently celebrated their rituals there. Later, the Romans built a temple in honor of Jupiter on the site. The first Christian church built here honored Saint Etienne, followed by a Romanesque church, which stood until 1163. In that year, Archbishop Maurice de Sully decided to construct the current cathedral.

This ambitious project coincided with a period of increasing prosperity and dominance for the city, so the work was intended to reflect this growing power. Thus, construction was largely uninterrupted by economic problems, and the main structure was completed by the mid-14th century, after many modifications and the involvement of various architects and artisans.

Alterations, Restorations, and Discoveries

The turmoil of history, deterioration over time, and evolving architectural trends led to the Cathedral undergoing numerous alterations and restorations. The most significant of these was undertaken in 1844 by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc and Jean-Baptiste Lassus, a monumental effort that lasted 23 years.

More recently, in 1965, excavations beneath the cathedral revealed the existence of catacombs containing Roman and medieval remains, offering further insights into the site's rich past.