Notre Dame

665 Words2 Pages

Notre Dame Cathedral is a Catholic church built 668 years ago in Paris, France. Notre Dame translates to “Our Lady” in French. The cathedral was built on the site of the former Saint Etienne basilica, which was Paris’ first Christian church. In ancient times there was a temple to the Roman god Jupiter on the site. Construction on the cathedral began in 1163 CE while Louis VII was king of France. Notre Dame was one of the first Gothic cathedrals. Before this time, most buildings were more of a Romanesque style, often associated with rounded semi-circular arches, and thick walls. In addition to being one of the first Gothic cathedrals, Notre Dame was also one of the first buildings in the world to use flying buttresses. Flying buttresses were a solution for supporting the heavy stone roof since a good portion of the building is glass. Flying buttresses are arches that project away from the building near the base of the roof, and meet columns that go down to the ground. Flying buttresses were commonly used in French Gothic architecture. They were also used in Westminster Abbey in England. Notre Dame features many elaborate paintings and statues, as well as an impressive organ on the interior. On the exterior, Notre Dame has many gargoyles and grotesques that are quite famous. The Western Facade of Notre Dame has many important elements. These elements include the beautiful Western Rose Window, two towers, three elaborate portals above the entryways, and the Gallery of the Kings. The Gallery of Kings is a row of twenty-eight Judean Kings that spans across the entire Western Facade. During the French Revolution, the Gallery of Kings, along with many other features, was damaged. The cathedral was not fully restored ... ... middle of paper ... ...ame and Napoleon I was crowned by the pope. Notre Dame is one of France’s crowning glories. It has been the pinnacle of beauty and iconic of Paris since its completion. Notre Dame was one of the first buildings in the world to use Gothic style architecture. The Gothic style originated in northern France, and it caught on quickly. Gothic Architecture was most often found on larger Christian places of worship, but today Gothic Architecture can also be found on government buildings and in universities. Since Notre Dame was one of the first buildings to use Gothic Architecture, many buildings all across Europe reflect the styles used on Notre Dame. Notre Dame has been one of the world’s most famous cathedrals for centuries. Notre Dame represents many years of faith, and hard work. Notre Dame is significant to history, and will continue to be for years to come.

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