Rooster with the relics of Christ, decapitated kings, a cathedral on four churches and other secrets of Notre Dame

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral is one of the most emblematic buildings in France. This masterpiece of Gothic architecture, located in the center of Paris, attracts over 14 million visitors annually, vastly surpassing the Louvre, Versailles and Montmartre. And there are many secrets hidden behind the walls of Notre Dame!

In the center of Paris, the high silhouette of Notre Dame has been observed for more than 850 years. This gem of Gothic art has gone through many trials from the Middle Ages to the 21st century.

Cathedral built on four churches

The first stone laid in 1163 for the construction of Notre Dame was actually not quite the first. In its place, at least four churches were previously built: a paleochristian church of the fourth century (dedicated to St. Stephen), the Merovingian Basilica, a Carolingian cathedral and a Romanesque cathedral. The stones of these buildings were reused by the builders of Notre Dame. Thus, the Virgin Mary decorating the tympanum of the cathedral is a masterpiece of Romanesque art and dates back to 1140-1150!

Victor Hugo managed to save Notre Dame

Notre Dame, without which it is impossible to imagine Paris today, almost disappeared in the 19th century! Destroyed by the French Revolution, and later turned into a warehouse (thousands of barrels of wine belonging to the revolutionary army were stored there), the building was so dilapidated that it was only about its destruction. But Victor Hugo saved him with his great novel of the same name, published in 1831. The author used the building as a personification of France itself (the title of the book is often translated as "The Hunchback of Notre Dame", but the humpbacked bell ringer Quasimodo is not the main character, the central figure is Notre Dame). The writer was heard: in 1845, the architect Eugene Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc was entrusted with an extensive architectural program. The French architect was responsible for the major restoration of the building, which would make Notre Dame the most famous cathedral in Paris.

Chimeras and gargoyles were added to the cathedral only in 1843

Some of the most famous images of Notre Dame are gargoyles and chimeras (carved monsters whose main function is to drain). Few of the visitors could have guessed that the fantastic creatures that are now in the cathedral were not there until the 19th century: they were added to the architecture of Notre Dame between 1843 and 1864 during a radical restoration led by Eugene Emmanuel Violier-le Duke. He was inspired by this romantic vision of the past thanks to the same novel by Hugo.

The secret of the cock on the spire

If you look at the cathedral before the fire in 2019, you can see a rooster crowning the spire. This rooster was not a purely decorative element. It contains one of the thorns from the crown of thorns of Jesus Christ and particles of the patron saints of Paris (St. Dionysius and St. Genevieve). The idea, as legend has it, was to create some kind of spiritual lightning rod to protect the worshipers inside.

Figures with cocked hats

If you look closely at the portal of Saint Anne, you can see that all the male figures depicted on the tympanum of this portal wear pointed hats. Why? Because all these people are Jews, and in medieval France, Jews wore pointed hats.

The architect left his mark

By the middle of the 19th century, Notre Dame was in need of significant renovation, and the architect Eugene Viollet-le-Duc began a large-scale project to restore the cathedral. As a rule, restorers of that time liked to leave something from their time or to display a part of themselves. Viollet-le-Duc was no different from them. Climbing up to the base of the spire, four groups of three human figures in bronze can be seen. These are 12 apostles. The top apostle on the south side keeps his elbow in the air and his hand covers his eyes. This is Saint Thomas, the patron saint of architects and … a self-portrait of Violier-le-Duc himself, looking at the spire he built.

Golden ratio

The Golden Ratio is a natural mathematical ratio (1: 1, 618) that is aesthetically pleasing when observed in nature and when incorporated into human creations. The splendor and harmony of Notre Dame is partly due to the widespread use of the golden ratio in its construction (in the proportions of the western facade, door frames, and also around the main "rose" and two towers of the cathedral).

The Lost Heads of Kings

The heads of the kings of the "gallery of kings" disappeared over 200 years ago. Over the centuries, many Parisians were convinced that the gallery of 28 statues along the main façade represented the kings of France. This is why, in 1793, the revolutionaries decided to decapitate the statues. In fact, they were Jewish kings. For nearly two centuries, all head marks were lost. Then, in 1977, in the courtyard of a Parisian house, 21 heads were accidentally discovered. Since then they have been kept in the National Museum of the Middle Ages. Cluny.

Twin Towers

At first glance, the two towers of Notre Dame look like identical twins. Upon closer inspection, you will notice that the north tower is actually slightly larger than the south. Like all elements of the cathedral, they reflect the fact that the cathedral is more of a collage of architectural trends and changes. The 69-meter Notre Dame Towers were the tallest structures in Paris until the construction of the Eiffel Tower in 1889.

Bells

For a long time, four bells weighing from 670 to 1765 kilograms, named after French saints, hung on the north tower of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The towers are home to the cathedral's largest bell, Emmanuel, the tenor bell, which weighs 13 tons. All cathedral bells rang daily at 8 and 19 o'clock. But the 13-ton bell Bourdon Emmanuel, installed on the south tower, was rarely heard by Parisians. Hearing his ringing was revered for great luck.

Where did the name Montmartre come from?

Notre Dame is full of works of architecture and art. One of the most interesting statues depicts two angels standing opposite a man standing erect, holding his head in his hands. A whole cult developed around his local martyr, Saint Dionysius. According to tradition, Dionysius was beheaded on the hill of Montmartre ("mountain of the martyrs") in the middle to the end of the 3rd century AD, after which he fled for about six miles, carrying his severed head. He was sentenced to death, but the lazy executioners were unable to reach the top of the hill in the midday heat. They decided to perform the decapitation on the hillside and cried in fear as the decapitated body of Dionysius rose from the ground, tore off its head from the mud and went back to the city.

April 15 fire

On April 15, 2019, a fire broke out in the cathedral, enveloping the iconic spire and much of the roof. The spire collapsed, the famous rooster was soon found. A huge fire that threatened to destroy Notre Dame Cathedral stunned France and the entire world. The flame has reached a scalding temperature of 800 ° C! Fortunately, five hundred Parisian firefighters were able to save the two main bell towers and the outer walls of the medieval building.