Notre Dame Cathedral

Notre-Dame de Paris, also known as Notre-Dame Cathedral or simply Notre-Dame, is an historic Catholic cathedral on the eastern half of the Île de la Cité in the fourth arrondissement of Paris, France. The cathedral is widely considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture and among the largest and most well-known church buildings in the world. The naturalism of its sculptures and stained glass are in contrast with earlier Romanesque architecture.

As the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Paris, Notre-Dame is the parish that contains the cathedra, or official chair, of the archbishop of Paris, currently Archbishop André Vingt-Trois. The cathedral treasury is notable for its reliquary which houses some of Catholicism's most important first-class relics including the purported Crown of Thorns, a fragment of the True Cross, and one of the Holy Nails.

In the 1790s, Notre-Dame suffered desecration during the radical phase of the French Revolution when much of its religious imagery was damaged or destroyed. An extensive restoration supervised by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc began in 1845. A project of further restoration and maintenance began in 1991.

Source: http://www.naughtynomadforum.com

Some facts about Notre Dame Cathedral:

• Notre Dame is still a functioning Catholic church and the site of many important religious and ceremonial events. It’s also one of the most popular attractions in France, with 13 million visitors each year.
• The cathedral was built between 1163 and 1345. During its construction, many different architects and designers introduced new elements, including the cathedral’s innovative flying buttresses.
• Notre-Dame is almost 400 feet long, and about 140 feet wide. The famous twin towers at the front are 200 feet high and have 387 steps from the ground floor to the top.
• Although built of stone, an estimated 1,300 trees were also used in the cathedral’s construction and Notre-Dame is sometimes known as ‘The Forest’. The roof is made from over 1,000 lead tiles.
• The cathedral actually belongs to the French government, because of a law dating from 1905. The government has given the Church permission to use the building.
• Notre-Dame Cathedral is also the home of one of the world’s largest organs, and several huge church bells. The bell in the south tower is named Emmanuel and weighs 13 tons.
• One of the most revered of religious artifacts, the Crown of Thorns, is kept in the cathedral. Ceremonies venerating the relic take place during Easter and throughout the year.
• One of the world’s most well known books was set mostly in the cathedral. Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame was written to increase appreciation for the building.
• Notre-Dame Cathedral is properly called Notre-Dame de Paris (Our Lady of Paris).

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O61ng_QqC4I&hd=1

Reference:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_de_Paris

http://primaryfacts.com

Posted in: France