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Introduction

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Place des Vosges
Musee Victor Hugo

Jewish area-Rue des Rosiers

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Village Saint - Paul Hotel de Sens

Ile de la Cité
Cathedrale Notre Dame de Paris

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Paris-Ile de la Cité-Notre Dame de Paris

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Crossing the pont d’Arcole over the Seine, let’s walk now towards the centre of France, where a stone marks the zero km border, and of which all distances in France are measured: the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris. You are now in the touristic heart of Paris where numerous souvenir shops will remind you your tourist status, long before your eyes will contemplate the cathedral. Overwhelming! I can easily figure that must have been the feeling of the medieval inhabitants of Paris in front of this impressive but beautiful and harmonious facade.Let’s have a small historical reminder. It’s in 1163 that the first stone was laid and 170 years later inaugurated. In the mean time Saint Louis had deposited the Thorn Crown (today only visible on Good Friday and on Fridays when it’s a fasting-day. Who the architect of Notre Dame was is still not certain, disputes are still going on…but it was Maurice de Sully who decided that a church had to be built on this spot, to compete the Saint-Denis basilica.
Notre Dame was for centuries a not only the house of God but also the centre of numerous activities and events. In front of the imposing entrance mystery plays were held, attracting huge crowds. Like in 1430 when the nine years old Henry VI was crowned king of England and France, followed by the coronation of Mary Stuart in 1559. Jeanne d’Arc was sanctified here after her previous rehabilitation. In 1804 Napoleon crowned himself as emperor, taking the crown out of the hands of the pope Pius VII (go and see the famous painting of Louis-David “Sacre de Napoleon” in the Louvre). 

The cathedral suffered a lot of damages during the French revolution. Citizens beheaded the sculptures of the facades, assuming these were the heads of the French kings. To make it complete they looted the treasures and renamed the place” Temple of good understanding”. But it was during the 19th century that the church became a world wide known monument, thanks to Victor Hugo and his “Notre Dame de Paris”. For those who never read the book, I recommend it strongly, it is a masterpiece in the description of Paris and its people during the middle ages.

The church is 130 meters long, 48 wide and has a height of 35. The two towers of 69 meters have a fantastic outlook on Paris. Before entering the cathedral, admire the luxurious decorations of the façade. Three entrances, all decorated with relevant, incredibly wonderful sculptures. Above these portals you can see the “Galerie des rois” with 28 statues of the kings of Israel and Judea (restored by Viollet-le-Duc after their decapitation by the furious mob during the Revolution). Above the galerie des rois, a superb, breathcatching rose window. And everywhere you look, this maze of stone lace, so fine and aerial, hard to believe that people could achieve such beauty during these dark ages.

If you want to climb the towers, I can assure you that the view on the ile de la Cite and the rest of Paris is worth the climb of 387 stairs. The spire in front of you houses the relics of saint Marcel, saint Denis and Sainte Genevieve in the bulb at its summit.

Inside the cathedral the view is breathtaking. Enormous pillars support the weight of the ceilings but the purity and perfection of the architecture leaves nobody indifferent. But let’s translate the Routard in a brief description: (I quote): “ The transept proposes admirable glass-stained windows and rose windows of the 13th century, admirable in finesse. The choir dates from the 17th century and is dedicated to the Mary Virgin. Louis XIV ordered a “pieta” on which sides the kings Louis XIII and Louis XIV appear, what a modesty!! The exterior bas-reliefs, left of the choir, narrate the life of Jesus and date from the 17th century. In the panel of the “Last Supper”, Judas serves himself first, defying all rules of politeness. “ (unquote)

Nave	Rose window

Try to visit Notre Dame when there is an organ recital, very impressive! It is supposed to happen every Sunday (17.30 no fee) and the second Tuesday of each month (20.30, paying)