Notre Dame Cathedral. Notre Dame Cathedral - Grand Notre Dame de Paris
Contacts
The address: 6 Parvis Notre-Dame - Place Jean-Paul II, 75004 Paris
Official site: www.notredamedeparis.fr
Cathedral opening hours: Mon-Fri from 08:00 to 18:45, Sat from 08:00 to 19:15
Entrance to the Cathedral: free
Free tours in Russian: Wed at 14:00, Sat at 14:30
Treasury
Treasury opening hours: Mon-Sun from 09:30 to 18:00
Treasury entrance: 3 euros - adults, 2 euros - children
panoramic tour
Working hours: from 10:00 to 18:30
"color: #2277aa;">Ticket price: 8.5 euros for adults, free for children
Archaeological crypt
Working hours: Mon-Fri from 10:00 to 18:30
Ticket price: 3.5 euros - adults, free - children
The city of romantic meetings and exquisite spirits, crispy croissants and elegant dresses, numerous museums and fun Disneyland. It's about about Paris. It's really just impossible not to fall in love with him. For years you can wander the streets of this incredible city, considering its centuries-old Attraction.
By right calling card Paris has long been. But besides it, there is something to see here. No tourist should ignore the Arc de Triomphe, , , Sorbonne, Palais Royal, Pantheon, , Notre Dame de Paris. Actually, the last pride of Paris will be discussed further.
Notre Dame de Paris or Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris
One of the most charming works of architecture was designed back in the 12th century. Archbishop Maurice de Sully was entrusted with starting work on such a large-scale project. According to his plan, Notre Dame in Paris was supposed to accommodate all the inhabitants of the city, however, over the long period of construction of the cathedral (more than 100 years), the number of inhabitants increased significantly.
The final date of completion of construction is considered 1345. Since that time, Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris has become a kind of cultural center.
Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris - The pearl of Gothic architecture
Since many architects of the sights of Paris (Notre Dame Cathedral) changed during the construction, the architectural styles are somewhat mixed. The Gothic style is most clearly seen here. It gives a sense of space and lightness to the building.
At the same time, it is impossible not to notice the echoes of the Romanesque style with its power and attraction to the unity of the building. Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris pleases with its size. The facade is 41 meters wide and the towers are 63 meters high. In the middle of the facade is the famous Big Rose. This is a round stained glass window with a diameter of 9.6 meters, which symbolizes original sin. Below it is a gallery of kings, there are statues of 28 kings of Judea. Below the gallery are three portals:
- Doomsday- located in the center. Reflects pictures doomsday according to the Gospel of Matthew;
- Saint Anna. In addition to sculptures of saints and Jesus, here you can see the scene of the marriage of Joachim and Anna, as well as the Virgin Mary and Joseph.
- Virgin Mary. Reproduces the moment of the transition of the Virgin Mary into eternal life.
The walls of the transept are two-thirds made of glass, which makes it possible to correct the ingress of light. Climbing up to the roof you can see the beautiful Paris. Notre Dame de Paris is distinguished by its whimsical statues on the roof of the cathedral.
Location and opening hours of the cathedral
Every Frenchman knows where Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral is located. It is very easy to find it on the map of Paris, because it is the very center of the capital, the Ile de la Cité. Sitting in a taxi, it is enough to give only the following coordinates: Notre Dame, Paris. Entrance to the cathedral is free for everyone.
Notre Dame de Paris on the map of Paris:
Excursions to Notre Dame de Paris
Having visited Paris, Notre Dame Cathedral, the video can be shot simply incredible. This can be done, including during the tour. Excursion to the treasury foresees acquaintance with various gold and silver jewelry, priestly clothing, attributes of religious rituals, but most great treasure Notre Dame de Paris in Paris has the crown of thorns of Jesus Christ and the nail from the cross on which He was crucified. The largest French organ is also housed here.
By choosing panoramic tour, you will have to overcome the spiral staircases leading to the top of the towers - to the observation deck. After climbing 422 steps, you will receive your reward - an incredible view of the Ile de la Cité. The largest bell of the cathedral is located here. Emanuel (this is the name of this bell) weighs more than 13 tons, but its sound can not be heard often, but only on the days of the largest liturgical holidays. It will be interesting to visit the archaeological crypt. This museum with excavations. It is located in the basement of the cathedral.
How to get to Notre Dame Cathedral?
You can visit Notre Dame in Paris without a guide. How to get there? Any of three ways:
- by train: St-Michel station
- by metro: Châtelet, Cite or St-Michel, Hôtel de Ville.
Visiting time of the cathedral: Monday-Saturday from 8.00 to 19.00, and also on Sunday, 8.00-12.30, 14.00-17.00; metro St-Michel/Cite.
Construction began in 1163, under Louis VII of France. Historians disagree on who exactly laid the foundation stone of the cathedral - Bishop Maurice de Sully or the pope. Alexander III. The main altar of the cathedral was consecrated in May 1182, by 1196 the nave of the building was almost completed, work continued only on the main facade. By 1250, the construction of the cathedral was basically completed, and in 1315, the interior decoration was also completed.
Two architects are considered the main creators of Notre Dame - Jean de Chelle, who worked from 1250 to 1265, and Pierre de Montreuil (creator of the Holy Chapel.
Many different architects took part in the construction of the cathedral, as evidenced by the different style and different heights of the western side and towers. The towers were completed in 1245 and the entire cathedral in 1345.
The powerful and majestic facade is divided vertically into three parts by pilasters, and horizontally into three tiers by galleries, while lower tier, in turn, has three deep portals: the portal of the Last Judgment (in the middle), the portal of the Virgin (left) and the portal of St. Anna. Above them is an arcade (Gallery of the Kings) with twenty-eight statues representing the kings of ancient Judea.
The cathedral with its splendid interior decoration, it has served for many centuries as a venue for royal weddings, imperial coronations and national funerals. In 1302, the Estates General, the first parliament of France, met for the first time.
A thanksgiving service was served here for Charles VII, who was crowned in Reims. And a century and a half later, the wedding of Henry IV, who was the king of Navarre, and the sister of the French king Margaret de Valois took place.
There are no wall paintings here, and the only source of color is the numerous stained-glass windows of the tall lancet windows. In 1831 Victor Hugo published the novel Cathedral of Notre Dame » Notre Dame de Paris , writing in the preface: “One of my main goals is to inspire a nation with love for our architecture. The cathedral houses one of the great Christian relics - the Crown of Thorns of Jesus Christ. Until 1063, the crown was located on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, from where it was transported to the palace of the Byzantine emperors in Constantinople. Baldwin II de Courtenay, the last emperor of the Latin Empire, was forced to pawn the relic in Venice, but due to lack of funds, there was nothing to buy it. In 1238, King Louis IX of France acquired a crown from the Byzantine emperor. On August 18, 1239, the king brought it to Notre Dame de Paris. In 1243-1248, the Sainte-Chapelle (Holy Chapel) was built at the royal palace on the Île de la Cite to store the Crown of Thorns, which had been there before the French Revolution. Later, the crown was transferred to the treasury of Notre Dame de Paris.
About 14,000,000 people come to the cathedral every year. Its popularity is explained not only by its unique architecture and truly luxurious interior decoration. Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral is also a place where millions of Catholics make pilgrimages. The thing is that in the temple, 35 meters high and 130 meters wide, there are some of the main Christian shrines. By the way, the bell towers of the temple are much higher than itself, their height is 69 meters. In Notre Dame de Paris, the nail with which the Savior of all mankind was nailed to the cross, and part of the cross itself, are kept. In addition, in Notre Dame Cathedral, all believers can see and bow to the crown of thorns, in which Jesus Christ ascended to the place of his execution. By the way, the crown of thorns was purchased for a huge sum by the king of France from the Roman emperor back in 1238. As it becomes clear from the history of the cathedral described above, one of the main shrines came to France even before the construction of the "heart" of Paris was completed.
Throughout the history of its existence, the treasury of the cathedral has been constantly replenished with various gifts, among which you can find unique exhibits dating from the beginning of our era, and which simply cannot be valued in monetary terms. Many of these gifts are not only of historical value, they are shrines, which are worshiped by millions of pilgrims.
Many tourists who first came to the Notre Dame Cathedral (Notre Dame de Paris) are surprised that there is not a single wall painting on the walls of all three tiers of the temple. True, the walls from this do not seem gloomy: sunlight, penetrating through the huge windows, decorated with beautiful stained-glass windows made by great masters, which depict biblical scenes, makes the room bright and, one might even say, fantastic. Some stained-glass windows of Notre Dame de Paris reach thirteen meters in diameter, they completely fit the “story” in the paintings about the birth, life and execution of Jesus Christ.
The bells of the cathedral deserve special attention. By the way, each bell of Notre Dame Cathedral has its own name. The largest bell of the Catholic Church bears the name of Emmanuel, its weight reaches 13 (!) tons, and the tongue weighs a little more than half a ton. The oldest of all the bells is called Belle (yes, like the character from all is well famous novel), it was cast as early as 1631. Emmanuelle's bell is rung only on the most important occasions. Catholic holidays, but the rest of the bells announce Paris at 8 am and 7 pm. All of these bells also miraculously escaped being melted down during the mob riots during the French Revolution.
If a visitor to the cathedral decides to enter it through the main entrance (there are three in total), then he will see a realistic image of the Last Judgment. Two angels with trumpets woke up the dead on our entire planet: a king, symbolizing power, a pope, symbolizing the clergy, and warriors with a woman, who show that during the Last Judgment, all mankind will wake up from eternal sleep.
Today, Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral is an active Catholic church, part of the Parisian archbishopric. Divine services are constantly held in it, but to get to them you should come to the temple as early as possible: its capacity does not exceed 9,000 people. By the way, worship services in Notre Dame de Paris are held using cutting-edge technologies: with the help of special effects, prayers are projected onto a huge screen in two languages: English and, of course, French. Believers can offer their prayers to God to the sounds of the largest organ in all of France. Moreover, the organ of Notre Dame Cathedral contains largest number registers in the world: today there are 111 of them!
By the beginning of the new millennium, the facade of the cathedral was qualitatively washed, removing deeply ingrained dirt from it, after which the amazingly beautiful carving on the portals of the cathedral became clearly visible. Perhaps, first of all, the gaze stops at the central portal, representing the “Judgment Day”. The lower frieze is a continuous movement of the dead, rising from their graves, while Christ sits in the upper part, who administers the Last Judgment. People who are on it right hand, he sends to paradise, while sinners who are in left hand doomed to terrible torment in hell. These scenes use visual aids and symbolism to help understand them not as separate episodes, but as a whole.It is curious that among the depicted sinners there are people who look like bishops and monarchs, from which it follows that medieval masters had the opportunity to criticize the mighty of the world this.
In the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris free tours; collection at the entrance at the tour desk. You can also combine a tour of the interior with organ concerts (admission free), which take place every Sunday at 16.00 or 17.00. The organ of the cathedral is considered one of the best in all of France. It was created by the great master of the 19th century, Aristide Cavalier-Coll, and has more than six thousand pipes.
Before leaving Notre-Dame de Paris, visit the garden at the east side of the cathedral to look at the arched buttresses supporting the choir, and then walk along the river under the south transept. Here you can sit for a while in the spring under the falling white petals of the cherry blossoms.
Notre Dame Cathedral is one of the most famous temples in the world, an outstanding architectural monument, sung by poets, writers, and artists.
The slender mass of the cathedral on the Île de la Cité is visible from afar. When the Roman emperor Constantine recognized Christianity at the beginning of the 4th century, the church of St. Stephen appeared here on the site of the former pagan temple. In the middle of the XII century, it no longer accommodated believers. Under King Louis VII the Young and Bishop Maurice de Sully, a decision was made to build a grandiose cathedral.
The first stone was laid in 1163 in the presence of Pope Alexander III. It was the time of the emergence of a new, skyward-looking architectural style in Europe - Gothic, and the cathedral became its embodiment.
Construction continued from 1163 to 1345. First, the choirs and naves were erected, the facade began in 1208, in 1250 two huge facade towers were completed. With the growth of the cathedral, dangerous tensions in the load-bearing walls were revealed; in the 14th century, huge flying buttresses were erected around the nave and choir, giving the building unusual view. Alterations continued for centuries: in 1699, by order of Louis XIV, the choir was rebuilt, the cross partition was replaced with lace, forged from iron.
The cathedral that grew up in the center of Paris was huge: 128 meters long, 48 meters wide. It accommodates 9,000 worshipers. The towers rise to a height of 69 meters, the spire - 90 meters. The building is decorated with huge rose windows with a diameter of 13 meters. The portals are richly decorated with sculptural compositions. The central one, on the western facade, depicts the Last Judgment: the dead rise from the graves, the Archangel Michael weighs the souls, Satan tries to stop him. On the western side, there is a portal dedicated to the Virgin Mary, her death and the Assumption. The compositions of the south side are dedicated to St. Stephen, the north - to the childhood of Jesus. You can look at them for hours. The cathedral is also famous for its chimeras and gargoyles looking down on Paris from above. Gargoyles have a prosaic purpose: they serve as drains for rainwater.
The interior is famous for its stained-glass windows with scenes from the life of Saint Genevieve, the patroness of Paris. In the chapels of the nave there are thirteen magnificent paintings of the 17th-18th centuries dedicated to the deeds of the holy apostles. Statue of the Madonna and Child in the southeastern part of the transept - mid-14th century.
In the 16th century, this splendor was destroyed by the Huguenots, the French Revolution in the 18th century turned the plundered cathedral into a temple of Reason, and then into a warehouse. The church was re-consecrated in 1802, Napoleon was crowned here. However, the building was falling into disrepair, and it was about to be demolished. In 1831, Victor Hugo published the novel Notre Dame Cathedral, which drew general attention to the fate of the temple. Tourists flocked here, in 1845 the restoration of the cathedral began.
Notre Dame de Paris is the history of France itself: the first French parliament opened here, kings were crowned and married, Joan of Arc was rehabilitated. On the day of the Liberation, de Gaulle prayed here, and here the nation escorted the great Frenchman to last way. Since the end of the 12th century, the bells of the cathedral have been ringing over Paris - on happy, sad and the most ordinary days.
On a note
- Location: 6, Place du Parvis Notre Dame, Paris.
- Nearest metro stations: "Cité", "Saint-Michel", "Hôtel de Ville", "Châtelet".
- Official website: http://www.notredamedeparis.fr
- Opening hours: Monday to Friday 08.00-18.45; on Saturday and Sunday 8.00-19.15. Visiting the treasury and towers - on weekdays from 9.30 to 18.00, on Saturdays - from 9.30 to 23.00, and on the last day of the week from 13.30 to 23.00. From October to March, tourists are allowed on the towers from 10.00 to 17.30.
- Tickets: visiting the cathedral - free of charge. Tickets for the tower: adults - 9 euros, youth 18-25 years old - 5 euros, children under 18 years old - free of charge. Tickets to the treasury: adults - 3 euros, youth 18-25 years old - 2 euros, children under 18 years old - 1 euro.
What associations come to your mind when you hear “Notre Dame de Paris”?) For me - the Cathedral, Paris, Quasimodo, Belle and Slava Petkun)) In fact, there are much more associations for this place - after all, this is the main attraction of Paris, along with with the famous Eiffel Tower!
Cathedral of Notre Dame- the geographical and spiritual "heart" of Paris, built in the western part of the island of Cité, on the site where in the 1st century AD there was an ancient Roman altar dedicated to Jupiter. Among the Gothic churches of France, Notre Dame Cathedral stands out for its austere grandeur of its appearance. In terms of beauty, proportions, and the degree of embodiment of the idea of Gothic art, this cathedral is a unique phenomenon. Today, looking at its holistic and harmonious ensemble, it is impossible to believe that the cathedral was built for almost two hundred years, that it was repeatedly altered and overhauled.
Construction began in 1163, under Louis VII of France. Historians disagree on who exactly laid the foundation stone of the cathedral - Bishop Maurice de Sully or Pope Alexander III. The main altar of the cathedral was consecrated in May 1182, by 1196 the nave of the building was almost completed, work continued only on the main facade. By 1250, the construction of the cathedral was basically completed, and in 1315, the interior decoration was also completed.
Construction of the western pediment, with its distinctive two towers, began around 1200.
Two architects are considered the main creators of Notre Dame - Jean de Chelle, who worked from 1250 to 1265, and Pierre de Montreuil, who worked from 1250 to 1267.
During the construction of the cathedral, many different architects took part in it, as evidenced by the different style and different heights of the western side and towers. The towers were completed in 1245 and the entire cathedral in 1345.
The powerful and majestic facade is divided vertically into three parts by pilasters, and horizontally into three tiers by galleries, while the lower tier, in turn, has three deep portals. Above them is an arcade (Gallery of the Kings) with twenty-eight statues representing the kings of ancient Judea.
The cathedral, with its splendid interior decoration, has served for many centuries as a venue for royal weddings, imperial coronations and national funerals. In 1302, the Estates General, the first parliament of France, met for the first time.
A thanksgiving service was served here for Charles VII, who was crowned in Reims. A century and a half later, the wedding of Henry IV, who was the king of Navarre, and the sister of the French king, Margirite of Valois, took place.
As in other Gothic temples, there are no wall paintings here, and the only source of color is the numerous stained-glass windows of the high lancet windows.
During the time of Louis XIV, at the end of the 17th century, the cathedral underwent serious changes: the graves and stained-glass windows were destroyed.
During the French Revolution, at the end of the 18th century, one of the first decrees of Robespierre announced that if the Parisians do not want “the stronghold of obscurantism to be demolished”, then they must pay a bribe to the Convention “for the needs of all revolutions that will happen with our help in other countries".
The cathedral was declared the Temple of Reason.
The cathedral was returned to the church and re-consecrated in 1802, under Napoleon.
Restoration began in 1841 under the supervision of the architect Viollet-le-Duc. This well-known Parisian restorer also restored the Amiens Cathedral, the fortress of Carcassonne in southern France and the Gothic Sainte-Chapelle. The restoration of the building and sculptures, the replacement of broken statues and the construction of the famous spire lasted 23 years. Viollet-le-Duc also came up with the idea of a gallery of chimeras on the facade of the cathedral. Statues of chimeras are installed on the upper platform at the foot of the towers.
In the same years, the buildings adjacent to the cathedral were demolished, as a result of which the present square was formed in front of its facade.
Notre Dame Cathedral houses one of the great relics of Christianity - the Crown of Thorns of Jesus Christ. Until 1063, the Crown of Thorns was kept on Mount Zion in Jerusalem. In 1063 he was transferred to the palace of the Byzantine emperors in Constantinople. In 1204, the sacred relic was captured by Western European crusader knights who broke into Constantinople and plundered the Christian city. Prior to this, for a thousand years, the foot of the conqueror had not set foot on the stones of the streets of Constantinople. Under the blows of the Crusaders, the Byzantine Empire broke up into several parts. Constantinople found itself under the rule of a dynasty of some provincial princes, who insatiably plundered the remnants of the great heritage they had inherited, but still constantly needed money. One of them - Baldwin II, in order to get out of debt, began to sell the sacred relics of Christianity. As a result, the Crown of Thorns went to the French king Louis IX. On August 18, 1239, the king introduced him to Notre Dame de Paris. In 1243-1248, the Sainte-Chapelle was built at the royal palace on the Ile de la Cite to store the Crown of Thorns, which was located here until the French Revolution, when crowds of revolutionary-minded citizens, intoxicated by “freedom, equality and fraternity”, smashed the chapel to pieces. However, the Crown of Thorns was saved and in 1809 transferred to the Notre Dame Cathedral, where it has been kept for almost two centuries.
The cathedral shows a duality of stylistic influences: on the one hand, there are echoes of the Romanesque style of Normandy with its characteristic powerful and dense unity, and on the other hand, innovative architectural achievements are used gothic style, which give the building lightness and give the impression of a simple vertical structure. The height of the cathedral is 35 m, the length is 130 m, the width is 48 m, the height of the bell towers is 69 m, the weight of the Emmanuel bell in the eastern tower is 13 tons, its tongue is 500 kg.
The main facade of the cathedral has three doors. Above the three lancet portals of the entrances there are sculptural panels with various episodes from the Gospel.
An image of the Last Judgment is placed above the central entrance. Seven statues each support the entrance arches. In the center is Christ the Judge. The lower lintel depicts the dead rising from their graves. They were awakened by two angels with trumpets. Among the dead - one king, one pope, warriors and women (symbolizes the presence at the Last Judgment of all mankind). On the top tympanum - Christ and two angels on both sides.
The doors are decorated with wrought iron reliefs. The roof of the cathedral is made of lead tiles 5 mm thick, overlapped, and the weight of the entire roof is 210 tons.
Top part the cathedral is decorated with images of gargoyles (protruding ends of beams, decorated with the muzzles of fantastic creatures) and chimeras (these are separate statues of fantastic creatures).
In the Middle Ages, there were no chimeras at the cathedral. To put them, taking medieval gargoyles as a model, was invented by the restorer - the architect Viollet-le-Duc. Fifteen sculptors, led by Geoffroy Deschomets, completed them.
The oak, lead-covered spire of the cathedral is 96 meters high. The base of the spire is surrounded by four groups of bronze statues of the apostles. In front of each group is an animal, the symbol of the evangelist: the lion is the symbol of Mark, the bull is Luke, the eagle is John and the angel is Matthew. All statues face Paris, except for St. Thomas, the patron saint of architects, who faces the spire.
A significant part of the stained-glass windows was made in the middle of the 19th century. The main stained-glass window - a rose above the entrance to the cathedral - is partially authentic, preserved from the Middle Ages (9.6 meters in diameter). In the center of her Mother of God, around - seasonal rural work, zodiac signs, virtues and sins. Two side roses on the north and south facades of the cathedral in both transepts - 13 meters in diameter (the largest in Europe). During the restoration, the stained-glass windows of the windows were initially supposed to be white, but Prosper Merimee insisted that they be made similar to medieval ones.
Unfortunately, there are very few genuine ones among the stained glass windows of Notre Dame Cathedral. Almost all of them are the latest works, replacing stained glass windows that were broken and damaged over a long history. Only the rose window has survived intact to this day. But not only the stained-glass windows, but the cathedral itself could not reach our days: among the Freemasons-leaders of the French Revolution and among the crowd led by them, the temple of Our Lady caused particular malice, and since the bacchanalia raged with particular force in Paris, the Cathedral of Notre Dame suffered much larger than other cathedrals in France. Heavily damaged during the years of the revolution, an ancient building with late XVIII century, the building fell into disrepair and in those years when Victor Hugo wrote his famous novel “Notre Dame Cathedral”, the temple was already threatened with complete destruction.
Inside the cathedral, the transepts (transverse naves), intersecting with the main longitudinal one, form a cross in plan, but in Notre Dame, the transepts are somewhat wider than the nave itself. In the center of the long nave is a successive series of sculptured scenes from the Gospel.
In the chapels, located on the right side of the cathedral, there are paintings and sculptures by various artists, which, according to centuries-old tradition, are donated to the cathedral every year on the first day of May.
The chandelier (chandelier) of the cathedral was made of silver-plated bronze according to a design by Viole Le Duc to replace the one melted down in 1792. In the photo - the ceiling Cathedral of Notre Dame
The first large organ was installed in the cathedral in 1402. For these purposes, they used an old organ placed in a new Gothic building. Such an instrument could not sound the huge space of the cathedral, so in 1730 Francois-Henri Clicquot completed its completion. The instrument consisted of 46 registers located on five manuals. During its construction, it was used most of pipes of the original instrument, 12 of which have survived to this day. The organ also acquired its current building with a Louis XVI style façade.
In 1864-67, the leading French organ builder of the 19th century, Aristide Cavaille-Coll, carried out a complete restructuring of the organ. The baroque instrument acquired a romantic sound typical of Cavaillé-Coll. The number of registers was increased to 86, the mechanical traction was equipped with a Barker lever. César Franck and Camille Saint-Saëns have played this organ among a number of other composers. The position of titular organist of Notre Dame Cathedral, along with the position of organist of the Cathedral of St. Sulpice, is considered one of the most prestigious in France. From 1900 to 1937, this post was held by Louis Vierne, under whom the tool was expanded in 1902 and 1932, and its tractor was replaced by an electro-pneumatic one. In 1959, the Cavaillé-Coll console was replaced with a traditional American organ console, and the tractura became fully electric, for which more than 700 km of copper cable were used. However, the complexity and archaism of such a design, as well as frequent failures, led to the fact that during the next reconstruction of the organ in 1992, the control of the instrument was computerized, and the copper cable was replaced with a fiber optic one.
At present, the organ has 109 registers and about 7,800 pipes, about 900 of which are Clicquot instruments. In 1985, four titular organists were appointed at once, each of which, according to the tradition of the 18th century, holds services for three months a year.
In addition to admiring the building itself, its architectural solutions, we draw your attention to some significant elements of the monument.
In the eastern part of the temple there is an apse, which is visible from the Tournel embankment. The symbol of the sunrise of the Resurrection with a gray-green vault and retaining arches is designed to receive divine energy.
On March 6, 2009, the Chapel of the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher opens, located in the heart of the temple. The crown of thorns of Christ is kept here, enclosed in a crystal ring with a gold frame. In the background stands the statue of Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows, holding the crown and nails that brought her son so much suffering. For viewing, it is exhibited on all Fridays of Great Lent.
Nearby is the Chapel of the Most Holy Gifts. It is dedicated to the mother of the Savior. It is a place for sacred sacrament prayers and meditations.
On the central nave there is an altar, behind it you will see the sculptural composition of Nicolas Coust "Pieta". The Virgin Mary holds the body of her dead son. On both sides of it there are sculptures of kings: on the right - Louis XIII, offering Mary his scepter and crown, on the left - praying Louis XIV.
An unusual medieval altar can be seen in the middle of the central nave. Biblical scenes are depicted in stone on the altar barrier.
The northern and southern parts of the altar barrier are an exposition of the biblical story of Christ. Even those who never took Holy Bible in hand, will be able to put together the story of Jesus from the images on the barrier.
The treasury, or trezor, is located in the annex of the cathedral. In addition to the crown of thorns, the Palatine cross-reliquary, she keeps jewelry, things made of gold and silver, church household items, priestly robes, ancient manuscripts, etc.
There are 27 statues of the Virgin Mary in the cathedral. The most famous is the Virgin Mary with the baby in her arms, placed in the southeastern part of the transept. The statue is called Notre Dame of Paris.
Turn your eyes to the southern rose window with a diameter of 13 meters, located on the facade of the transept from the north. The stained-glass rose window is considered a real masterpiece of high Gothic of the 13th century. Untouched by historical events, the northern rose window impresses with its mosaics of medieval masters.
Don't forget to watch one of the biggest musical instruments in the world - an organ.
And yet, according to one of the legends of the cathedral, the ancient alchemists helped create the temple. The secret of the Philosopher's Stone is hidden in the geometric interweaving of the building. In the frescoes, an ancient teaching is encrypted, by unraveling which you can get immense power over the universe.
To avoid long queues, arrive at the cathedral on weekdays early in the morning.
Please arrive 30 minutes early to visit the towers. The queue will be long, and only about 120 people pass per hour. If you arrive in a group, you can split up: some stand in line, while others inspect the cathedral.
In bad weather and on holidays, the entrance to the towers may be closed.
Please note that you will have to climb up 422 steps (we warn pregnant women and those who complain about their health).
If you want to attend the service, then you need to come on Saturday at 5:45 or at 18:15. There are several services on Sunday. At 11:30 an international mass begins with an organ concert.
The most inexpensive souvenirs of Paris are in shops near Notre Dame.
Budget tourist cafes are located to the right of the cathedral in the Latin Quarter.
Every month on the first days, on all Fridays of Great Lent, the treasures of the temple are brought out for everyone to admire. To see this beauty, look into the cathedral around three in the afternoon.
Tourists can rejoice at the opportunity to capture the decoration of the cathedral on camera: photography is allowed on the territory of the temple and inside.
A visit to an architectural masterpiece, a true work of art, should definitely be on your list when planning a trip to Paris.