The Original Notre Dame was once the most spectacular structure; which would bring millions of tourists to Paris every year to marvel; in the harmonious strength of the Gothic French Style Architecture. Built in the 12 and 13th Centuries; standing strong through its fair share of historic events, bloodshed, worship, and later on becoming home to the famous story, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Notre Dame is one of the most famous and beloved Cathedrals in the world which why the headlines

“The Notre Dame is on fire, it is burning to the ground” shocked and deeply saddened the modern world. On the 15^th of April 2019; a fire broke out in the roof of the cathedral ripping through the 700-year-old building. On a personal level it was news that broke my heart; not only for the loss of the iconic building but the history; and the stories that it has told us. To think about the historic events that were held here and the people who walked its halls are absolutely mind-blowing. So much history and culture in one building and now lost forever. Don’t wait; get out there and experience this world while you can because; who knows one day it might not be there any longer.

Things you might not have known about the Notre Dame Cathedral

• The city of Paris is built around Notre Dame which is in the very center of the city.
• It was Commissioned by Bishop de Sully in 1163, the grand structure took nearly 200 years to build.
• The crowning of King Henry VI of England in 1430 took place at the cathedral.
• The marriage of Catholic Margaret of Valois to the Protestant Henri de Navarre in 1572; sparking the St Bartholomew’s Day massacre during the French Wars of Religion
• During the French Revolution; Notre Dame was used to sore food and for refuge unfortunately most of the statues were beheaded. They were then replaced after the revolution.

The Original Building

• This is one of the first buildings in the world to use flying buttresses as a part of the design. The flying buttresses are the arched exterior support.
• The building was 130 meters long and 49 m wide, the towers being 68 m high
• The Façade was the most striking part; a heavily restored central portal that depicted the last judgment. The upper part was Christ being surrounded by the celestial court – Good  vs Evil
• The gothic gargoyles were not there just for decoration they were used as water runoff spouts. Once upon a time, they were once covered in colourful paint however it wore off over time leaving them to have a stone finish.
• Above the entrance was the portal of the Virgin; which has a beautiful Tympanum showing the coronation of the Virgin Mary.
• One of the rose windows was more than 700 years old and withstood many wars.
• Inside the grand pipe organ had 7800 pipes and a 32 pedal keyboard
• In the South, Tower there was a 13-ton bell which was only rung on special occasions.
• There were 386 steps to the top that you could climb for a beautiful view of the River Seine
• Notre Dame Cathedral could accommodation 9000 people
• The church had under-floor heating installed during Roman occupation!!!!

Restorations of the Notre Dame

Classic and historic buildings had lost their charm and were being demolished to make way for new ones. The French Gothic Architecture became a thing of the past; a man named Victor Hugo loved everything about Notre Dame and the Gothic Design. He wanted to remind the people of Paris; that if we don’t look after these Historic Buildings they will be lost forever. What tipped him over the edge to take action; was one of the original stained windows in the cathedral; was simply replaced with a normal window to let more light in. Victor Hugo was completely appalled; he came up with a grand plan of writing a novel; to promote the beauty of the building that Novel is called the…..

Hunchback of Notre Dame

Written by Victor Hugo published in 1831

The story is centred around the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris; Quasimodo the Hunchback was actually the symbol of the forgotten Gothic Architecture of Paris. Quasimodo was born with extreme physical deformities; including his infamous hump, hence the name Hunchback of Notre Dame. As a child, he was found abandoned on the doorstep of Notre Dame. Quasimodo was kind and gentle, however, lived his life in the shadows. Due to his appearance, Quasimodo was looked upon by the general Paris population as a monster.

Quasimodo became the official bell ringer for the cathedral; for many years attended social events from behind the scenes. One night he decided to attend in person; as you can imagine the people did like this very much, a riot broke out. Quasimodo was in a spot of trouble; a beautiful gypsy girl named Esmeralda stepped in and freed him using a magic trick.

They took refuge in the Notre Dame Cathedral and became good friends; Quasimodo helped her leave the Cathedral to safety. A city-wide search for her began to send her to trial for being a witch. Suddenly Esmeralda is captured and was being prepared to be burnt at the stake. Quasimodo rescued her and took her once again back to the safety of the cathedral. He wanted to tell her how much he loved her; only to find out she was in love with someone else. This tragic love story became so popular that people donated money for the restoration of the Cathedral; forever home to The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Such a magnificent building it will live on through the history books continuing to tell its stories.

Construction of the “New” building will be the next chapter, and new stories to be told of Notre Dame.

The city of Paris is one of the most historic, symbolic, and inspirational cities in the world. Some people love it and some people come away feeling a bit let down. Therefore missing the underlying things to see, not looking past the hustle and bustle to the true beauty of the city. Please don’t be one of those people, educate yourself before your trip and your experience will be amazing. Check out Dots to Discover Paris.