Notre
Dame Cathedral drew more than 13 million visitors each year,
constituting one of the most important landmarks in Paris, second only
to the Eiffel Tower. Now, however, it faces years of reconstruction
before it can be brought back to its former glory — after April 15,
2019, nothing will be the same.
While the whole world stood
petrified, confronted by heart-wrenching images of the cathedral, brave
firefighters were struggling to salvage as much as they could of the
centuries-old relics. Indeed, a large chunk of the history of France
lies between the flying buttresses of Notre Dame, as the church has seen
more than 850 years of prosperity, turmoil, revolution, wars and peace.
The
foundations for the cathedral were laid in 1160, under the watchful eye
of Bishop Maurice de Sully. It’s location on the sacred eastern part of
the Île de la Cité (City Island), an area that has been dedicated to
worship since it was established as the heart of the city in Roman
times. Construction lasted for around 100 years.
Between 1851 and 1870
Circa 1858–60
Circa 1865
1850s
Notre-Dame at the end of the 19th century
Initially
constructed under the watchful eye of Maurice de Sully, the Bishop of
Paris, it was placed on a site used for worship of Jupiter since the
Roman settlers in Gaul. Before the magnificent cathedral, a humble
Christian basilica occupied this plot of sacred land.
Although
various modifications were introduced in the following centuries, the
cathedral’s rib vaults, external support pillars, huge rose windows
bathed in colors, and sculptural decorations, which include the
legendary gargoyles, were the product of the original building endeavor.
The east facade of Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris by photographer Edouard Baldus, 1860s
Making
a clear break from the former Romanesque style, Notre Dame set the bar
for future stone masons, legitimizing the coming of a new Gothic
aesthetic. The architects of Notre Dame had clear intentions of creating
the largest ecclesiastical building in France ― one that would cast a
long shadow over the roofs of Paris and prove France’s loyalty to God.
1851–70
Gothic
architecture, which originated in France, was characterized by
re-combining the already-known Romanesque elements into a more
innovative approach, enabling the builders to construct taller
cathedrals with the help of external support pillars.
It also
introduced a better understanding of natural light, and the way it can
be funneled into a church, thus creating a sense of unprecedented
divinity.
1860s
The
223-feet tall (67 m) towers, along with the 108-feet tall (32 m) have
appeared as a striking sight in medieval Paris, crowning the city as one
of the most important places of Christian pilgrimage in Europe. The
spire — which was sadly destroyed, along with two-thirds of the roof —
was originally built in the 13th century but was replaced during a major
restoration effort that took place between 1844 and 1864.
1876
1876–80
An 1853 photo by Charles Nègre of Henri Le Secq next to ‘Le Stryge’ gargoyle
1876–80
1883
1890–1900
1890–1900
Circa 1900
Circa 1920–39
1916–17
1920s
Notre
Dame has had a turbulent history. Most notably during the Huguenot
Riots of 1548 and the French Revolution of 1789 when the cathedral was
seen more as a sign of religious repression rather than a devotional
temple to God.
1922
Throughout
its history several attempts of restoration were made, perhaps the
biggest effort being between 1844 and 1864, when it was supervised by
Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. Viollet-le-Duc was a renowned French architect
who dedicated his life to restoring medieval structures, and the idea of
restoring the cathedral came in the wake of a literary phenomenon,
which sparked huge interest in the history of Notre Dame.
Notre Dame in 2014
2017
The
restoration was partly caused by the renewed interest for Notre Dame
that came along after Victor Hugo’s literary masterpiece, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, was published, sparking popularity due to its detailed descriptions of the cathedral.
