Notre Dame de Paris (Notre Dame de Paris, Notre-Dame de Paris) - the "heart" of Paris. It was here that, according to tradition, the service was to be held on Easter 2019. But after the tragic events of April 15-16, 2019, the service was canceled. This cathedral is a magnificent monument surrounded by legends. And the destructive fire that has happened will now be another important, albeit sad, event in the history of the cathedral.
Notre Dame Cathedral is a place where even people far from religion experience inexplicable thrill. This incredible building was erected over two centuries (specifically: for 182 years), it combines neo-Gothic and Romanesque styles. Construction began in 1163; according to some reports, the first stone was laid by Pope Alexander III, while other sources say that the bishop from Paris named Maurice de Sully started the construction.
In 1250, the main work came to an end, however, it was necessary to draw up the interior of the temple and complete the finishing work. This process was delayed, because Notre Dame de Paris was officially completed and commissioned in 1345.
Throughout its existence, Notre Dame Cathedral "saw" a lot of events, they tried to destroy it several times. During the First World War, the building was badly damaged, but was later rebuilt. During the Second World War, Hitler himself ordered the demolition of Notre Dame de Paris, but the temple still survived. In 2012, the magnificent architectural monument turned 850 years old, to this date some reconstruction work was carried out. So, for example, the organ was restored, and nine new bells appeared in the cathedral. However, it was decided to carry out a full restoration of the facades by the Summer Olympics of 2024.
A tragic and terrible event happened in the evening - around 20:00 Moscow time - April 15, 2019. A fire broke out on the upper tiers of Notre Dame. The fire spread very rapidly, not sparing the "heart" of Paris. More than 400 firefighters worked to fight the flames. However, to save the ancient clock, the spire, erected in the XII century, most of the wooden roof failed.
This unexpected fire in Notre Dame de Paris was a shock not only for the inhabitants of France, but also for the whole world. Despite the fact that important relics stored inside the building were not damaged, the old bell also survived, the consequences of the fire in Notre Dame Cathedral are very serious. On this "Black Monday", many recalled the French proverb, which states that "Notre Dame de Paris will light up and the end of time will come." It turned out to calm down the fire only late at night on April 16.
Notre Dame Cathedral is a place of pilgrimage and one of the most visited cultural and historical sites not only in Paris, but throughout Europe. After the fire in the walls of the temple, the tourist route was changed, guests of the French capital should take this into account.
Having a very rich and long history, Notre Dame de Paris is surrounded by a variety of interesting facts, various memorable and important events took place within its walls. It is impossible to tell about everyone - this list will tend to infinity. However, you can try to highlight some of the most interesting moments in the history of Notre Dame Cathedral.
Interesting facts about Notre Dame de Paris
Outwardly, Notre Dame Cathedral looks like a very gloomy building. It is noteworthy that this structure has no walls. The temple is completely created from pillars and arches, and inside it is almost always very light. A similar effect is achieved thanks to the stained-glass windows.
The place where Notre Dame de Paris is located is in many ways remarkable. The monument is located on the island of Cite, it is surrounded by the waters of the River Seine. There was once a pagan temple on these lands, where they worshiped the god Jupiter in the 1st century. In addition, here in the IV century there was the church of St. Stephen, and in the VI century the Church of Our Lady was erected.
Inside the cathedral you can literally study the Bible, despite the fact that there are no murals in the temple. With the help of numerous sculptures, stucco moldings and stained-glass windows, all significant moments are displayed here, and the scenes of the Last Judgment inspire horror and cause awe even among non-believers.
Famous demons and gargoyles appeared on the roof of Notre Dame Cathedral after the revolution.
An interesting fact is that the spire, unfortunately lost during the fire in April 2019, in the old days was an observation deck and a watch tower of the city.
One of the important events in the "life" of Notre Dame de Paris was the coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte.
During the revolution, an order was given to blow up the cathedral. But due to an inexplicable coincidence, the explosives ended. As a result, the building was looted, and after some time was used by the revolutionaries as a warehouse.
Two bell towers, one of which was hardly saved from the fire when the Notre Dame Cathedral was burning, have an unprecedented height of 69 meters.
It is worth noting the fact that Notre Dame de Paris is visited annually by more than 14 million tourists, pilgrims, local residents and Catholic Christians.
