Updated Monday, April 15, 2019:
A heartbreaking News. While millions of Christians mark the death and resurrection of Jesus during the holy week, the Notre Dame Cathedral of Paris burns in flames. The central spire of the Cathedral has already collapsed and much of the Interior has been destroyed.
Notre Dame Cathedral is one of the most famous cathedrals in Paris. Notre Dame is a critical example of French Gothic design and architecture. It is one of the most famous landmarks in France. It is beating even the Eiffel Tower with 13 million guests every year. The renowned basilica is additionally a dynamic Catholic church which holds a lot of religious as well as cultural importance for the pilgrims.
The West front of Notre Dame Cathedral is one of its most eminent elements, with its two 69-meter tall towers. The South Tower houses the well-known bell called “Emmanuel.” The Notre Dame Cathedral originally has 10 bells. The largest one out of the 10 is the “Emmanuel” and it is rung the first out of the rest always.
This giant bell actually measures 13 metric tons (more than 28,000 pounds), its clapper itself measures 500 kilograms. This big bell is one of the most antique establishments of the Notre-Dame.
The Galleria des Chimeres or Grand Gallery interface the two west towers and is the place the house of prayer’s, where amazing gargoyles or the chimers can be found. These gargoyles project a lot of Gothic character and were included amid the nineteenth-century restoration process.
Next comes the King’s Gallery which is a line of statues of the 28 Kings of Judah and Israel. It was re-made by Viollet-le-Duc to replace the statues pulverized amid the French Revolution.
Notre Dame Cathedral is also known for the wonderful West Rose Window. It dates back from around 1220 and then the three west gateways of Notre Dame Cathedral are heavenly cases of early Gothic craftsmanship.
Etched somewhere around 1200 and 1240, they portray scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary, the Last Judgment, and scenes from the life of St. Anne (the Virgin Mary’s mom). Huge numbers of the statutes, particularly the bigger ones, were obliterated in the Revolution and changed in the nineteenth century.
Notre-Dame’s glass windows remain an imperative and one of the most significantly beautiful collection from the thirteenth-century Gothic artwork and craftsmanship with fascinating and truly interesting historic details. The highlight of these recolored glass windows is the arrangement or the set of three excellent rose windows, which sparkle like gems over the West entryway.
You must take the tour through the towers, it gives you the absolute most wonderful views around. Another thing to see is the underground display, where they house the old demolishes and ruins underneath the church building. It tells you about the history of this beautiful place.
The whole aura of this place is something entirely different and truly wonderful. To get a superb view, one must climb the 442 stairs to the top. The cathedral is an architectural and infrastructural marvel in itself for centuries. The elements of this cathedral-like the arches, the vaulted ceilings, the stained glass windows, etc., are also worth a visit.
