Our Lady of Paris

The Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris (Our Lady of Paris) was built on a site which in Roman Lutetia (former settlement on the site of present-day... more

by Darin Williams

Title

Our Lady of Paris

Artist

Darin Williams

Medium

Photograph - Color Photography

Description

The Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris (Our Lady of Paris) was built on a site which in Roman Lutetia (former settlement on the site of present-day Paris) is believed to have been occupied by a pagan temple, and then by a Romanesque church, the Basilica of Saint Étienne, built between the 4th century and 7th century.
King Louis VII of France (who reigned 1137-1180) wanted to build monuments to show that Paris was the political, economic, and cultural capital of France. Therefore, Maurice de Sully, who had been elevated to Bishop in 1160, had the old basilica torn down and began to build a larger and taller cathedral.
The cornerstone was laid in 1163 in the presence of Pope Alexander III. The design followed the traditional plan, with the ambulatory and choir, where the altar was located, to the east, and the entrance, facing the setting sun, to the west. By long tradition, the choir, where the altar was located, was constructed first, so that the church could be consecrated and used long before it was completed. The original plan was for a long nave, four levels high, with no transept. The flying buttress was not yet in use, so the walls were thick and reinforced by solid stone abutments placed against them on the outside, and later by chapels placed between the abutments.
The roof of the nave was constructed with a new technology, the rib vault. The roof of the nave was supported by crossed ribs which divided each vault into six compartments. The pointed arches were stronger than the earlier Romanesque arches, and carried the weight of the roof outwards and downwards to rows of pillars, and out to the abutments against the walls. Construction of the choir lasted from 1163 until around 1177. The High Altar was consecrated in 1182. Between 1182 and 1190 the first three traverses of the nave were built up to the level of tribunes. Beginning in 1190, the bases of the facade were put in place, and the first traverses were completed. Though it has been modified frequently in subsequent centuries, the cathedral was largely completed by 1260.

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April 21st, 2019