I've had the pleasure of visiting the cathedral many times so far since I've arrived, and it never ceases to awe me. The building is so intricate and just a masterpiece, really. It's amazing the skill of the builders back in the day.
My architecture class has also studied this building in detail, so I now know a lot of interesting historical facts about it. Below I'll post some pictures I've taken, along with some fun tidbits I've learned. Enjoy :)
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| in the square in front of the building |
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| The main facade - originally it was painted in bright colors, but that aspect is now lost due to multiple acts of destruction throughout the years of the revolution. Most of the sculptures we see today are actually replicas. |
Each statue in the gallery of kings (located below the windows and above the porticos) is roughly 10 feet tall. They're huge.
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| The main portico - each one tells a story through the sculptures. This one depicts "The Last Judgement," in which the living and dead are all judged and sent to either heaven or hell. |
Inside the church:
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| rose window |
Side view:
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| The flying buttresses - built to support the vaulted ceilings inside. Each had a rain gutter running down the center, leading to the gargoyle on the end, where the water would drain out of its mouth. |
The view at night is beautiful:
I still have to go back and take a tour all the way to the top of the building. Gotta check out those gargoyles up close, see if I spot any hunchbacks in the bell towers :P
Speaking of that story: Once the building was finally completed after years and years of construction, the Gothic style wasn't as popular since the Renaissance had taken over. The latest architect decided to ask his author friend, Victor Hugo, to write a story about it to regain interest. Thus "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" was born, and the rest is history!
A bientot!
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