Visiting Paris? Don’t miss Notre Dame de Cathedral while in Paris. Read more to know more about the fascinating history and facts of the Notre Dame Cathedral.
Paris is not only a choice for romantic vacations but also a utopia for history buffs like me 🙂 Considering my first visit (definitely not last!) to the City of Lights, I wanted to cover all the top attractions and leave out a few that will make me come back again 😀
After spending a few days in Paris, anyone would love to ride the metro/subway or maybe walk wherever possible. To visit the world-famous cathedral I walked over 2 km exploring every nook and corner and peeking into the little souvenir shops in the narrow lanes. Finally, when I caught the glimpse of the church from across the river Seine I was awestruck by the French Gothic architecture which took over 200 years to build.
Related Read – Things to know before visiting Paris, France!
Notre Dame Cathedral Architecture
The Notre Dame Cathedral stands tall at 130 meters and is almost 50 meters wide with windows as wide as 10 meters. Notre Dame de Paris is actually a French name for ‘Our Lady of Paris‘. The towers present amazing views of the city. It is always recommended to check the timings because I got there post 5:30 PM and it was closed by then. The famous twin towers in the front stand high at 69 meters.
Related – See these Postcard Pictures from Paris.
Have you read the interesting Facts about Louvre Museum?
Interesting Facts about the Notre Dame Cathedral
The Notre Dame Cathedral is one of the tops visited places in Paris. It is overwhelming to see such a massive structure with a fascinating history. I prepared myself with the facts about the Notre Dame Cathedral when I planned to visit which I present today –
Facts about the Notre Dame Cathedral: The Beginning
Notre Dame was among the first building to use Flying Buttress – It was not intended initially, but as the construction started and when the thinner walls grew higher the structure wasn’t considered stable then the architects suggested using the pattern.
Facts about the Notre Dame Cathedral: Architecture
To date, the cathedral remains the finest example of French-Gothic architecture and at the same time, it is also one of the largest church buildings in the world.
Facts about the Notre Dame Cathedral: French Revolution History
During the French Revolution, the Notre Dame Cathedral Paris suffered severe desecration and many of its religious structures got destroyed. Towards the middle of the 18th century, Eugene Viollet-le-Duc commenced extensive restoration for the same.
Facts about the Notre Dame Cathedral: Construction
The Notre Dame Cathedral’s construction was originally started in 1160 by Bishop Maurice de Sully and post his death different architects worked on the structure which justifies the difference in the heights of western towers.
Facts about the Notre Dame Cathedral: Time to Build
Although the Notre Dame Cathedral took almost 200 years to be built completely, one of the major changes came in the 13th century when the North Rose window was based on the Rayonnant style.
Facts about the Notre Dame Cathedral: Intricates
The Notre Dame cathedral has 10 bells and out of those the largest ~ Emmanuel is in the Southern tower weighing over 13 tons.
While wandering around the Notre Dame Cathedral I found this beautiful sculpture. The sculpture beautifully represents the entire model of the Notre Dame Cathedral in a single view.
Quick Tip
Candles usually lay there for tourists to offer their prayers but not mandatory to pay. However, it is really nice if you could leave some money in the drop-box. I dropped 1 Euro, you can do as you like, it is nice to be courteous!
Have you been to Paris? Did you get a chance to visit Notre Dame Cathedral? Please share your experience with me!
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— Shivani
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