Notre Dame Cathedral (Notre Dame de Paris). Notre Dame Cathedral (Notre Dame de Paris), description, photo

Getting to the Parisian shrine is very easy. Her Address: 6 place du Parvis Notre-Dame, Ile de la Cit, 75004 Paris, France. There are several stations nearby: line 4 - Cite or St-Michel; and line 11 - Hôtel de Ville station; , lines 11 and 14 - Châtelet station; Line 10 - station Maubert-Mutualité or Cluny–La Sorbonne.

You can use the transport network: lines B and C, station St-Michel - Notre-Dame.

Opening hours and masses at Notre Dame

From Monday to Saturday the cathedral can be visited from 8:00 to 19:00. On Sunday - from 8:00 to 12:30 and 14:00 to 17:00. Services at Notre Dame are held daily. There are several services on Sunday. International Mass begins at 11:30 am. Even if you are not a religious person, you can attend a service and thus listen to a free organ concert.

Cafes and souvenirs near Notre Dame de Paris

A little about the history and architecture of Notre Dame

The architecture of the cathedral is truly unique. The temple was built for almost two centuries, from 1163 to 1345. When its first stone was laid, the Romanesque style reigned in France with its density and solidity of structures. Over time, it was replaced by Gothic, more intricate and lighter. Thanks to the fact that the cathedral absorbed the best of both of these styles, its building acquired its own appearance - unique and mystical. There is not a single internal wall made of stone in the cathedral. They are replaced by columns that connect light arches, and stained glass windows serve to separate the rooms. According to Gothic canons, there are no paintings on the walls of the temple. This allows the light penetrating through the colored glass to create beautiful patterns.

The history of Notre-Dame de Paris is complete tragic events. Many times he became a bargaining chip in the hands of the country's rulers. Under the rule of Louis XIV, the cathedral lost its main decoration - stained glass windows. And during the Great French Revolution, Robespierre announced to the residents of the capital that he intended to demolish the shrine. But the love of the Parisians for the cathedral was so great that they all agreed to pay an extortionate fee for the needs of the revolution so that Notre Dame de Paris would not be touched. Robespierre spared the building, but ordered the heads of the stone statues of the kings who stole it to be cut off. Large-scale restoration of the temple began in 1841, ten years after the publication of Hugo’s novel. It lasted for 23 years. The building was completely restored, broken statues and stained glass windows were replaced with new ones, and a gallery with chimeras appeared on the facade of the building. The space in front of the temple was also cleared of unnecessary buildings to form a square.

Notre Dame Cathedral is without a doubt the most famous in Europe. In France, all roads lead to it - back in the 18th century, geographers decided to measure distances from the “heart of Paris” - Notre-Dame de Paris. For centuries, Notre Dame Cathedral was the main center of city life: emperors were crowned here and the first parliament of France met, royal weddings and funerals were held, the rich deposited their valuables here, and the poor sought shelter here. Nowadays, about 13 million tourists visit it annually - this is more than all of them combined.

Myths and facts

In the Middle Ages, Notre-Dame de Paris was the Bible for those who could not read - the entire history of Christianity from the Fall to the Last Judgment is clearly depicted in numerous sculptures decorating the building. And the eerie and bizarre chimeras and gargoyles, watching the endless stream of parishioners from the roof, have collected an incredible number of legends and myths about secret sense symbolism of the mystical temple. Esotericists believe that the code of occult teachings is encrypted here. Victor Hugo called Notre Dame "the most satisfactory brief reference book of occultism." In the 17th century, researchers tried to decipher the secret of the philosopher's stone, which, according to legend, was encoded by medieval alchemists in its architecture.

Other legends tell of devilish participation in the construction of the temple. The blacksmith Biscorne was commissioned to forge the most beautiful figured gates for Paris Cathedral. Unable to complete the order, the blacksmith called on the devil for help. In the morning, when the minister of Notre Dame came to look at the sketches of the future gate, he found the blacksmith unconscious, and in front of him shone a masterpiece with openwork patterns of unprecedented beauty. The gates were installed, the locks were installed, but it turned out that they could not be opened! The locks gave way only after sprinkling with holy water. The Parisian historian Henri Sauval, who in 1724 investigated the origin of the patterns on the gates, which do not look like either forged or cast, said: “Biscornet took this secret with him without revealing it, either fearing that the manufacturing secret would be stolen , or fearing exposure, because no one saw how he forged the gates of Notre-Dame de Paris.”

The Paris shrine is built on the site of a pagan temple where the Romans worshiped Jupiter in the 1st century. Later, in 528, the Romanesque church of Saint-Etienne was installed here. And finally, in 1163, the Bishop of Paris founded a new cathedral dedicated to the Virgin Mary (Notre Dame).

The legendary building was destined to witness many significant events V . Here the crusaders prayed before leaving for the holy wars, Philip IV convened the States General - the first parliament in 1302, Henry VI (the only ruler of England who bore the title “King of France”) was crowned in 1422 and Mary Stuart was married to Francis II, and in 1804 year Napoleon put on the Emperor's crown.

In the midst french revolution, in which Paris was the epicenter, outraged people stormed the cathedral, which had become a symbol of royal power, and in the heat of the moment they beheaded 28 statues of the kings of the Jews. Many treasures were destroyed or looted, only large bells escaped melting down. The building survived by luck - after the destruction of Cluny Abbey, the revolutionaries ran out of explosives. So Notre Dame Cathedral was declared the Temple of Reason, and the premises were used as a food warehouse.

Only in the middle of the 19th century, after the publication of Victor Hugo’s first novel “Notre Dame Cathedral,” where in the preface he wrote: “One of my main goals is to inspire the nation with love for our architecture,” the restoration of the famous temple began. All the broken statues were replaced, a tall spire was added, and the roof was populated with demons and chimeras. In addition, houses nearby were demolished to improve the view of the renovated building.

And yet, the main merit of the popularity of the most famous one does not lie in its history. Notre-Dame de Paris houses one of the greatest Christian relics - crown of thorns Jesus Christ, ransomed by Louis IX from the Byzantine emperor in 1238. Today, the popular shrine, which attracts huge crowds of pilgrims, can accommodate 9,000 people at a time.

What to see

The main western façade of the building is divided into three tiers. The lower one consists of three portals - the Last Judgment, the Madonna and Child and St. Anne, the mother of the Virgin Mary, the middle tier - the gallery of kings with 28 statues of the kings of Judah and Israel and a rose window of the 13th century, the upper tier - towers 69 meters high, which was the most tall structure at the time of construction.

Each bell on the towers of Notre Dame has its own name. The oldest of them is Belle (1631), the largest is Emmanuel, weighing 13 tons, only his beater weighs 500 kg. But it is used only in special cases. The remaining bells ring every day at 8.00 and 19.00. The bravest can climb 387 steps to the top of one of the towers.

The sculpture of the left portal “Glory of the Blessed Virgin” is amazing in its execution. the best example early French Gothic (1210). The Madonna and Child sits on a throne, flanked by two angels, a bishop with an assistant and a king. The upper part depicts scenes of the coming of Christ (Annunciation, Nativity, Magi), the lower part tells the story of Anna and Joseph.

There is no wall painting in the Paris Cathedral. Huge stained glass windows in the windows, letting in sun rays, paint gray walls with a whole rainbow of shades. In some parts of the temple purple and blue colors, in others - orange or red, which adds enchanting luxury to the interior. Three 13th-century round rose windows shine like jewels on the west, north and south façade. Stained glass windows up to 13 m in diameter depict scenes from Old Testament, the earthly life of the Savior and the Mother of God.

Over the years, valuable items and gifts used in religious ceremonies have accumulated - bishops' vestments, chalices, valuable manuscripts and a collection of 268 cameos, as well as a nail and a piece of the cross on which Jesus was crucified.

Notre Dame Cathedral is a working church where services are held using modern video effects: the text of a prayer in French and English and images of biblical scenes are projected onto a transparent screen, and Notre Dame's own stained glass windows are visible through it. The performance is accompanied by beautiful music from the largest organ in France.

In France there are many churches dedicated to Our Lady:, and others. Therefore, when saying Notre Dame in Paris, do not forget to add de Paris.

Notre-Dame Cathedral (Cathédrale Notre-Dame) is open daily from 8.00 to 18.45, on weekends - until 19.15, except May 1, December 25, January 1. Entrance to the tower from June to August is until 23.00.
Cost: admission is free. Visit to the tower: 8 euros, under 18 years old free.
Guided walks on English: Wednesday and Thursday at 14.00, Saturday at 14.30.
Official website: www.notredamedeparis.fr (French, English)

1. One of the greatest creations of man - Notre Dame de Paris - stands on the banks of the Seine. This is definitely music frozen in stone. In other words, it’s hard to call this work of art.

2. Already in the fourth century AD, on the site where the cathedral now stands, there was a beautiful church of St. Stephen. Unfortunately, it was destroyed by the Normans who invaded French territory. In the sixth century, a church dedicated to Mother of God.

3. By the twelfth century, both churches had fallen into such disrepair that the Bishop of Paris decided to erect a temple. Thus began the history of the great temple.

4. Construction of the temple lasted almost two centuries: from 1163, when King Louis VII and Pope Alexander III laid the first stone in the foundation, before 1330.

5. According to the plan, the temple premises should have been large enough to accommodate all the inhabitants of Paris (and there were about ten thousand of them at that time). Now the population of Paris has increased many times over, but Notre-Dame de Paris is still ready to welcome more than nine thousand people within its walls.

6. The most located main temple France on the Ile de la Cité in the middle of the Seine. Due to the fact that the temple was built by several generations of architects, it combines Romanesque and Gothic styles.

7. It is interesting that there is not a single wall in the cathedral. The entire space is occupied by pillars connected by arches. There are stained glass windows in the arch openings.

8. A twelve-story building can easily be placed in the middle nave of the cathedral (it is the largest of the five). The two central naves intersect each other, reminiscent of the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified.

9. Three pointed arches serve as entrances. Near them stand statues of saints, prophets and angels. Also, the statues stand in the niches of the cornice. These are statues of biblical kings.

10. Much attention should be paid to the bell tower, which, at one time, served as a watchtower for Paris. From here it was possible to conduct excellent surveillance of the approaches to Paris and promptly notify the city residents of the danger.

11. In the nineteenth century, the main asset of Paris was brought into such decline that in 1841 the government had to make a special decision, four years after the adoption of which restoration began.

12. Today Notre Dame de Paris is the main monument of Paris. It is located exactly in the city center and is of great historical value. Be sure to visit it, you won't regret it.

13. 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 no money to redeem it. In 1238, King Louis IX of France acquired the crown from the Byzantine emperor. On August 18, 1239, the king brought it into Notre-Dame de Paris. In 1243-1248 at royal palace On the Ile de la Cité, the Sainte-Chapelle (Holy Chapel) was built to store the Crown of Thorns, which was located here before the French Revolution. The crown was later transferred to the treasury of Notre-Dame de Paris.

14. The cathedral is visited by 14 million people every year and is one of the most famous monuments in Europe.

15. In 2009, Michael Jackson fans gathered on the porch of the cathedral thought that the bell was ringing in honor of the death of their idol. In fact, the bell ringing accompanied religious procession to the Cathedral of Saint-Severin.

16. In the Middle Ages, Notre-Dame de Paris was the Bible for those who could not read - the entire history of Christianity from the Fall to the Last Judgment is clearly depicted in numerous sculptures decorating the building. And the eerie and bizarre chimeras and gargoyles, watching from the roof over the endless stream of parishioners, have collected an incredible number of legends and myths about the secret meaning of the symbolism of the mystical temple. Esotericists believe that the code of occult teachings is encrypted here. Victor Hugo called Notre Dame "the most satisfactory brief reference book of occultism." In the 17th century, researchers tried to decipher the secret of the philosopher's stone, which, according to legend, was encoded by medieval alchemists in its architecture.

17. Other legends tell of devilish participation in the construction of the temple. The blacksmith Biscornet was commissioned to forge the most beautiful figured gates for the Paris Cathedral. Unable to complete the order, the blacksmith called on the devil for help. In the morning, when the minister of Notre Dame came to look at the sketches of the future gate, he found the blacksmith unconscious, and in front of him shone a masterpiece with openwork patterns of unprecedented beauty. The gates were installed, the locks were installed, but it turned out that they could not be opened! The locks gave way only after sprinkling with holy water. The Parisian historian Henri Sauval, who in 1724 investigated the origin of the patterns on the gates, which do not look like either forged or cast, said: “Biscornet took this secret with him without revealing it, either fearing that the manufacturing secret would be stolen , or fearing exposure, because no one saw how he forged the gates of Notre-Dame de Paris.”

18. Notre Dame Cathedral was built on the site of a pagan temple where the Romans worshiped Jupiter in the 1st century. Later, in 528, the Romanesque church of Saint-Etienne was installed here. And finally, in 1163, the Bishop of Paris founded a new cathedral dedicated to the Virgin Mary (Notre Dame).
The legendary building was destined to witness many significant events in the history of France. Here the crusaders prayed before leaving for the holy wars, Philip IV convened the States General - the first parliament in 1302, Henry VI (the only ruler of England who bore the title “King of France”) was crowned in 1422 and Mary Stuart was married to Francis II, and in 1804 year Napoleon put on the Emperor's crown.
At the height of the French Revolution, in which Paris was the epicenter, outraged people stormed the cathedral, which had become a symbol of royal power, and in the heat of the moment they beheaded 28 statues of the kings of the Jews. Many treasures were destroyed or looted, only large bells escaped melting down. The building survived by luck - after the destruction of Cluny Abbey, the revolutionaries ran out of explosives. So Notre Dame Cathedral was declared the Temple of Reason, and the premises were used as a food warehouse.

19. Only in the middle of the 19th century, after the publication of Victor Hugo’s first novel “Notre Dame Cathedral,” where in the preface he wrote: “One of my main goals is to inspire the nation with love for our architecture,” the restoration of the famous temple began. All the broken statues were replaced, a tall spire was added, and the roof was populated with demons and chimeras. In addition, houses near the cathedral were demolished to improve the view of the renovated building.

20. As for his 850th anniversary, all of France plans to celebrate the anniversary throughout the year. The program of events is extensive - services, concerts, exhibitions, festivals, scientific conferences. In addition, French Post plans to issue commemorative stamps dedicated to the anniversary. And the cathedral itself is going to update its bells, which will be cast using ancient technologies, restore the organ and update the interior lighting of the temple. Also, a special tourist route has been prepared for the anniversary, following which you can learn about little-known facts in the history of Notre-Dame de Paris. After all, there are so many more secrets and legends associated with this place.

21. For the anniversary events in honor of the 850th anniversary of the cathedral (which will last almost a year - from December 12, 2012 to November 24, 2013), nine new bells were cast for the cathedral (the total cost of creating new bells is estimated at 2 million euros), the organ was also reconstructed . A number of religious and cultural initiatives are dedicated to the anniversary, the preparation of which is being carried out jointly by the Archdiocese of Paris and the authorities of the French capital; in January, the French Post Office will issue two commemorative postage stamps. A special “pilgrim route” will be created, following which you can get acquainted with little known facts about the territory adjacent to the cathedral and the secrets of the courtyard.

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Metro: Cite or St-Michel RER: St Michel
Opening hours: from 8:00 to 18:45 (until 19:15 on Saturdays and Sundays)
Entrance: Entrance to the cathedral is free. In the towers - 8 Euros for adults, 5 Euros from 18 to 25 years old, under 18 years old free.
N.B.: Free tours of the cathedral are held in Russian every Wednesday at 14:00
and Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
Photo: a selection of photographs is posted in the Photo Gallery section
Website: www.notredamedeparis.fr

In the heart of Paris, on the eastern part of the Ile de la Cité, the pearl of French Gothic architecture rises majestically - cathedral Notre-Dame de Paris - Notre-Dame Cathedral.

Construction, which lasted a total of about two centuries, was started in 1163 by Bishop Maurice de Sully on the holy land, where a church built by the Romans and then a Christian basilica had previously been located. Bishop de Sully spent a significant part of both his fortune and his life on the construction of the Cathedral.

Upon completion of construction, the majestic Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral with its magnificent interior decoration for many centuries it served as the venue for royal weddings, imperial coronations and lavish national funerals.

During the French Revolution in the 1790s, Notre-Dame de Paris, like most other religious and monarchical symbols of the country, suffered greatly. For example, stone statues of the biblical kings of Judea were literally beheaded, mistakenly mistaken for images of the kings of France (some elements of the statues damaged by vandalism were found only in the 20th century).

The restoration of the cathedral, which was in extremely poor condition, began only in 1845 under the leadership of the architect Eugene Viollet-le-Duc and lasted more than twenty years. During this time, in addition to recreating the original appearance of the cathedral, the architect erected a Gothic spire and created the Gallery of Chimeras with amazing statues and images of non-existent birds, demons and monsters.

Built at a time when most of the country's population could not be called well-educated, and the history of religion was literally passed on by word of mouth, Notre-Dame de Paris depicts episodes and events of the Bible in its portals, paintings and stained glass windows. There is no wall painting, as in other Gothic churches, and the only source of color and color is the numerous stained glass windows of the high lancet windows. The light, passing through these “glass paintings,” acquired a mysterious color, causing sacred awe among believers.

Believers have the opportunity to worship shrines. On the first Friday of every month and on Good Friday During the Catholic Great Lent, the Crown of Thorns, together with a piece of the Holy Cross and the Nail from it, are taken out for veneration. The queue to the shrines must be taken in advance, before the ceremony itself, because... There are a lot of people who want to venerate the shrines.

Every Sunday you can attend a Catholic mass and listen to the sound of the largest organ in France completely free of charge. The cathedral is also unusual thanks to the unique sound of its six-ton ​​bell, from which, according to legend, Quasimodo poured out his pain.

The bottom of one of the most beautiful observation platforms in Paris, located in the south tower of the Cathedral, is separated from the ground by 402 steps. If weather conditions or your mood is not conducive to climbing so high, go up to the 1st level balcony - the Gallery of Chimeras - just 255 steps up the stone spiral staircase.

In the square at the foot of the Cathedral, pay attention to the bronze star of the “zero kilometer” (kilometre zero) - since the 17th century, the beginning of all roads in France. You will find the same symbolic mark in Moscow on a small “patch” between Manezhnaya and Red Square.

Notre Dame de Paris is the third most popular attraction in Paris and attracts about 12 million tourists every year.

Please note that the opening hours of the towers and the Chimera Gallery differ from the opening hours of Notre Dame Cathedral:

April 1 - September 30: from 10:00 to 18:30 (and on Saturdays and Sundays in June, July and August until 23:00)
October 1 - March 31: from 10:00 to 17:30
Entry closes 45 minutes before closing

As befits one of the oldest buildings in Paris, Notre Dame(Notre Dame de Paris from French Notre Dame Cathedral) is located in the heart of the city, on. Earlier, in the 3rd-4th centuries, an ancient Roman temple was located on this site, and later, when the Romans ended their reign, the first Christian Church in Paris.

Construction began in 1163, but the most easily recognizable part of the structure, where the main entrance is located, consisting of three massive doors, as well as two rectangular towers, began to be built only in 1200. The construction and decoration of the ball was completely completed by 1345. Despite the fact that Notre Dame was built by many architects over 180 years, the original design of the Gothic cathedral was respected. And today we can admire the amazing symmetry and harmony of the structure, combined with rigor, clarity and balance.

The façade is visually clearly divided into three parts, both horizontally and and vertically as well. On the first level, horizontally, there are three portals with entrances to the temple: the Last Judgment (in the center), St. Anne (right), Our Lady (left).
Please note that above the left portal you can notice a slight deviation from the general symmetry; at the top it is shaped like a triangle, and not an oval arch, as on the two neighboring portals.

There is another violation of symmetry on the third level, in the main towers Notre Dame Cathedral, namely the left one is slightly wider than the right one. Why this was done is now unknown, but such subtle deviations of symmetry undoubtedly add even more mystery and grandeur to this structure.
On the second horizontal level there is the famous rose window, 10 meters in diameter, with stained glass, partly authentic, from the Middle Ages. To the right and left of it are smaller arched windows that surprisingly fit into the general style Notre Dame Cathedral, successfully complementing and emphasizing its other elements. Under the windows there is a gallery of kings, 28 sculptures of the kings of Judah, the ancestors of Christ.

It must be said that during the French Revolution, Notre Dame was
heavily plundered and fell into disrepair. By order of the Convention and Robespierre personally, illiterate rebels threw statues from the facade of the temple to the ground, bells and other church utensils were melted down, the altar was desecrated and looted.

For many years, Notre Dame Cathedral stood dilapidated and half-looted. Only after the publication of the novel of the same name, written by Victor Hugo in 1831, did the people again become interested in the building and the king issued a decree on the restoration of the temple.

The restoration of the temple lasted from 1841 to 1864. Were recreated numerous sculptures and stained glass windows, as well as new ones added. In the upper part of the building, at the ends of the beams, images of gargoyles (dragon-like snake) and many individual figures - chimeras - appeared. These fantastic creatures were added to the appearance of the temple and now we can see them on the site near the foot of the towers. In those years, the main spire of Notre Dame Cathedral, dismantled in 1786 by order of Robespierre, was also restored. Made of oak and covered with lead plates, the spire is 96 meters high and is surrounded by bronze figures at the base. Also, the temple was cleared of many outbuildings and now there is a spacious area in front of the main facade. It is from this square that all the roads in France originate, as evidenced by a bronze plaque with the inscription “0 km” installed here.