Interesting facts about Notre Dame Cathedral | Just Fun Facts
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The cathedral was built between 1163 and 1345. Notre Dame Cathedral is located in Paris, France on the Ile de la Cite, the very heart of the city. It is one of the largest religious buildings in the world.
Notre Dame Cathedral Facts - Notre Dame Cathedral Paris
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Blog Preview. Facts About The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. 1) Notre Dame is 130 meters long, 48 meters wide, 35 meters high. 2) Notre Dame is located on the Paris Island called Ile de la Cite, which concentrated the power attributes of France between the 4th and the 14th century.
Facts on the Notre Dame Cathedral in France
Designed
in the Gothic fashion and built between the 12th and 14th centuries,
the Notre Dame Cathedral in France is the official seat of the
Archbishop of Paris. Its architecture is one of the first examples of
the use of flying buttresses, and the cathedral also features numerous
statues and stained glass windows. Major components that make Notre Dame
unique include one of the world's largest organs and its immense church
bells. Throughout its history, the cathedral has suffered from
vandalism and near destruction, but concerted efforts to preserve its
rich history continue.
Construction
The
Bishop of Paris, Maurice de Sully, ordered the construction of Notre
Dame in 1160. He deemed the church that already stood in the location
unworthy of the prestige of his position. Actual construction started a
few years later when the foundation stone was laid in 1163. The choir,
the first portion of the building to be completed, was consecrated in
1177. The High Altar was finished a few years later, in 1182. Maurice de
Sully died in 1196 while the cathedral was still being built.
Construction continued for years, with many bishops and architects
making their mark on the seemingly never-ending building process. The
fact that so many people had a part in building Notre Dame is what
accounts for its unique and varied design. It wasn't until 1345 that the
cathedral was consecrated as complete.
Organ and Bells
As a centerpiece of the cathedral, many organs were installed over the years after Notre Dame's construction. The first fully integrated organ, however, was not completed until the 18th century. Francois-Henri Clicquot built an organ with pipes that extended through the walls. It was rebuilt in the 19th century by Aristide Cavaille-Coll, who laid 6,900 new pipes to fit with the 900 from the previous design. In 1992, the organ was updated again; this time it was computerized through utilization of three local area networks. The bells of Notre Dame are also some of the most famous in Europe. Of the five large bells, the one in the South Tower is the most prominent. Known as the bourdon bell Emmanuel, it weighs over 13 tons. The North Tower contains the remaining four. Traditionally, the bells were rung by hand, but electric motors were installed in the early 20th century.Damage and Restoration
Notre Dame has gone through a number of periods of destruction and restoration. Even so, much of the facade and interior remain true to the original designs. During the 16th century, both the Huguenots and the French king vandalized and changed much of the contents of the cathedral. Many features on the exterior were removed because they were considered idolatrous, while tombs and stained glass windows were destroyed in the name of modernization. During the French Revolution, the cathedral was converted into a storage warehouse for food, and the heads of many statues were removed. The first attempt at restoration was conducted between 1845 and 1870. Much of the damage from the previous century was repaired, and new additions were constructed. Another restoration program began in 1991 and continues as of 2010. This effort focuses on cleaning and preserving sculpture and facades rather than adding any new features.References
Resources
About the Author
Jason Chavis has been a professional freelance writer since 1998. He is the author of four books, two movies and a play as well as numerous articles for "Scientific American," The History Channel, City Pages and "The Onion." In 1996, Chavis won the award for "best science fiction/fantasy" from the River Valley Writer’s Conference.
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Photo Credits
- Notre Dame image by Roy L. from Fotolia.com
Facts on the Notre Dame Cathedral in France | USA Today
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