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Notre Dame de Paris: Western Façade
Notre Dame de Paris: exterior of the apse
Flying buttress

Notre Dame de Paris ('Our Lady of Paris' in French), also known as the Notre Dame Cathedral, is a Gothic, Roman Catholic Cathedral on the eastern half of the Île de la Citémarker in the fourth arrondissementmarker of Parismarker, Francemarker. It is the cathedral of the Catholic archdiocese of Paris: that is, it is the church that contains the "cathedra", or official chair, of the Archbishop of Paris, André Cardinal Vingt-Trois. Notre Dame de Paris is widely considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture in the world. It was restored and saved from destruction by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, one of France's most famous architects. The name Notre Dame means "Our Lady" in French, and is frequently used in the names of Catholic church buildings in Francophone countries.Notre Dame de Paris was one of the first Gothic cathedrals, and its construction spanned the Gothic period. Its sculptures and stained glass show the heavy influence of naturalism, unlike that of earlier Romanesque architecture.




In 1160, because the church in Paris had become the "parish church of the kings of Europe", Bishop Maurice de Sully deemed the previous Parisian cathedral, St Stephen's (which had been founded in the 4th century) unworthy of its lofty role, and had it demolished shortly after he assumed the title of Bishop of Paris. As with most foundation myths, this account needs to be taken with a pinch of salt; archeological excavations in the 20th century suggested that the Merovingian Cathedral replaced by de Sully was itself a massive structure, with a five-aisled nave and a facade some 36m across. It seems likely therefore that the faults with the previous structure were exaggerated by the Bishop to help justify the rebuilding in a newer style. According to legend, de Sully had a vision of a glorious new cathedral for Paris, and sketched it on the ground outside the original church.To begin the construction, the bishop had several houses demolished and had a new road built in order to transport materials for the rest of the cathedral.

The cathedral illuminated at night
Over the construction period, numerous architects worked on the site, as is evidenced by the differing styles at different heights of the west front and towers. Between 1210 and 1220, the fourth architect oversaw the construction of the level with the rose window and the great halls beneath the towers.The most signifiant change in design came in the mid 13th century, when the transepts were remodelled in the latest Rayonnant style; in the late 1240s Jean de Chelles added a gabled portal to the North transept topped off by a spectacular rose window. Shortly afterwards (from 1258) Pierre de Montreuil executed a similar scheme on the South transept. Both these transept portals were richly embellished with sculpture; the south portal features scenes from the lives of St Stephen and of various local saints, while the north portal featured the infancy of Christ and the story of Theophilus in the tympanum, with a highly influential statue of the Virgin and Child in the trumeau.

The cathedral was effectively complete by around 1345.

Timeline of construction

  • 1182 Apse and choir completed.
  • 1196 Bishop Maurice de Sully dies.
  • c.1200 Work begins on western façade.
  • 1225 Western façade completed.
  • 1250 Western towers and north rose window completed.
  • 1250–1345 Remaining elements completed

The organ

Grandes Orgues

The position of titular organist ("head" or "chief" organist) at Notre-Dame is considered as one of the most prestigious organist posts in France, along with the post of titular organist of Saint Sulpicemarker in Paris, Cavaillé-Coll's largest instrument.

I Grand Orgue C–g3
Violon-Basse 16′
Bourdon 16′
Montre 8′
Viole de Gambe 8′
Flûte Harmonique 8′
Bourdon 8′
Prestant 4′
Octave 4′
Doublette 2′
Fourniture II–V
Cymbale II–V
Bombarde 16′
Trompette 8′
Trompette (Réc.) 8′
Clairon 4′
Chamade 8
Chamade 4

II Positif C–g3
Montre 16′
Bourdon 16′
Salicional 8′
Flûte Harmonique 8′
Bourdon 8′
Unda Maris (ab c0) 8′
Prestant 4′
Flûte Douce 4′
Nasard 22/3
Doublette 2′
Tierce 13/5
Fourniture V
Cymbale V
Clarinette 16′
Cromorne 8′
Clarinette aiguë 4′
III Récit C–g3
Quintaton 16′
Diapason 8′
Viole de gambe 8′
Voix céleste 8
Flûte traversière 8′
Bourdon céleste 8′
Octave 4′
Flûte Octaviante 4′
Quinte 22/3
Octavin 2′
Bombarde 16′
Trompette 8′
Clairon 4′
Basson-Hautbois 8′
Clarinette 8′
Voix Humaine 8′
Hautbois 8′
Dessus de Cornet V
Dessus de Hautbois 8′
Trompette 8′
Clairon 4′
Régale en chamade 2′/16′
Chamade (G.O.) 8′
Chamade (G.O.) 4′
IV Solo C–g3
Bourdon 32′
Principal 16′
Montre 8′
Flûte Harmonique 8′
Grosse Quinte 51/3
Prestant 4′
Grosse Tierce 31/5
Nazard 22/3
Septième 22/7
Doublette 2′
Grande Fourniture III
Fourniture V
Cymbale V
Cornet II–V
Cromorne 8′
Trompette (G.O.) 8′
Clairon (G.O.) 4′

V Grand Chœur C–g3
Principal 8′
Bourdon 8′
Prestant 4′
Nazard 22/3
Doublette 2′
Tierce 13/5
Larigot 11/3
Septième 11/7
Piccolo 1′
Plein jeu IV
Tuba Magna 16′
Trompette 8′
Clairon 4′
Pédale C–f1
Principal 32′
Contrebasse 16′
Soubasse 16′
Quinte 102/3
Violoncelle 8′
Flûte 8′
Bourdon 8′
Grosse Tierce 62/5
Quinte 51/3
Septième 44/7
Octave 4′
Flûte 4′
Tierce 31/5
Nazard 22/3
Flûte 2′
Tierce 13/5
Larigot 11/3
Piccolo 1′
Fourniture III
Cymbale IV
Contre-Bombarde 32′
Bombarde 16′
Basson 16′
Sordun 16′
Trompette 8′
Basson 8′
Clairon 4′
Chalumeau 4′
Clairon 2′
View from the south


Among the best-known organists at Notre Dame was Louis Vierne, who held this position from 1900 to 1937. Under his tenure, the Cavaillé-Coll organ was modified in its tonal character, notably in 1902 and 1932.


Pierre Cochereau initiated further alterations (many of which were already planned by Louis Vierne), including the electrification of the action between 1959 and 1963. The original Cavaillé-Coll console, (which is now located in the Musée de Notre Dame de Parismarker, next to the cathedral), was replaced by a new console in Anglo-American style and the addition of further stops between 1965 and 1972, notably in the pedal division, the recomposition of the mixture stops, and finally the adding of three horizontal reed stops "en chamade".

After Cochereau's sudden death in 1984, four new titular organists were appointed at Notre Dame in 1985: Jean-Pierre Leguay, Olivier Latry, Yves Devernay (who died in 1990), and Philippe Lefebvre. This was reminiscent of the 18th-century practice of the cathedral having four titular organists, each one playing for three months of the year. Beginning in 1990, another restoration to the instrument was undertaken, which was completed in 1992.

Alterations, vandalism and restorations

Sculpture from the restoration program

In 1548, rioting Huguenots damaged features of the cathedral, considering them idolatrous. During the reigns of Louis XIV and Louis XV, the cathedral underwent major alterations as part of an ongoing attempt to modernize cathedrals throughout Europe. Tombs and stained glass windows were destroyed. The north and south rose windows were spared this fate, however.

Extreme angle
In 1793, during the French Revolution, the cathedral was rededicated to the Cult of Reason, and then to the Cult of the Supreme Being. During this time, many of the treasures of the cathedral were either destroyed or plundered. The statues of biblical kings of Judah (erroneously thought to be kings of France) were beheaded. Many of the heads were found during a 1977 excavation nearby and are on display at the Musée de Clunymarker. For a time, replaced the Virgin Mary on several altars. The cathedral's great bells managed to avoid being melted down. The cathedral came to be used as a warehouse for the storage of food.

A restoration program was initiated in 1845, overseen by architects Jean-Baptiste-Antoine Lassus and Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. The restoration lasted 25 years and included the construction of a flèche (a type of spire) as well as the addition of the chimera on the Galerie des Chimères. Viollet le Duc always signed his work with a bat, the wing structure of which most resembles the Gothic vault (see Château de Roquetaillademarker).


In 1939, during World War II, it was feared that German bombers could destroy the windows; as a result, on September 11, 1939, they were removed and then restored at the end of the war.

In 1991, a major program of maintenance and restoration was initiated, which was intended to last 10 years but is still in progress as of 2009, the cleaning and restoration of old sculptures being an exceedingly delicate matter.

In the late 1990s a candle was removed from the church without authorization, a crime with a possible penalty of up to 20 years.

The bells


In the night of August 24, 1944, as the Île de la Citémarker was taken by an advance column of French and Allied armoured troops and elements of the Resistance, it was the tolling of the Emmanuel that announced to the city that its liberation was under way.

Significant events



One of the many roses in the flower garden behind Notre Dame.

See also



  • Jacobs, Jay, ed. The Horizon Book of Great Cathedrals. New York, New York: American Heritage Publishing, 1968.
  • Janson, H.W. History of Art. 3rd Edition. New York, New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1986.
  • Myers, Bernard S. Art and Civilization. New York, New York: McGraw-Hill, 1957.

External links

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