A visit to Notre-Dame Cathedral – From Paris with love

In this week’s Paris des Arts, A visit to Notre-Dame Cathedral takes centre stage as we take a trip down memory lane and delve into the history of Paris’s gothic gem with architectural historian Mathieu Lours.

A visit to Notre-Dame Cathedral

A visit to Notre-Dame Cathedral is a romance with its history, inspiring novels and tragedy through the ages. We meet Henri Chalet, the Director of the Maîtrise Notre-Dame singing school and follow his work with the choir during their rehearsals. And, in “From Paris with love”, we discover a reading of writer Sylvain Tesson’s works on stage inspired by his love of Notre-Dame Cathedral. 

Notre Dame de Paris is a cathedral church in Paris. It is the most famous of the Gothic cathedrals of the Middle Ages and is distinguished for its size, antiquity, and architectural interest.

The cathedral was initiated by Maurice de Sully, bishop of Paris, who about 1160 conceived the idea of converting into a single building

From Paris with love

The Cathedral of Notre Dame is a masterpiece of Gothic architecture and one of the most visited monuments in for many romantics, Paris is a mythical city where stories are made, and certainly Notre Dame is part of this timeless beauty.

The most famous of the Gothic cathedrals

But despite the devastating 2019 fire, Notre Dame has survived to remain an enchanting Parisian monument that travelers still dream of visiting as we did with historian Mathieu Lours.

The historian paints a picture of where it’s located, it is like he is painting a picture on a blank canvas; situated on Paris’s picturesque island, Île de la Cité, Notre Dame sits quite literally in the heart of Paris. Yes, that is where Notre Dame de Paris resides, but don’t be surprised if you hear tales of other Notre Dames in other French cities.

What does Notre Dame de Paris mean?

“These are not imposters of the Parisian cathedral. Notre Dame de Paris, literally translated, is “Our Lady of Paris.” Notre Dame, therefore, is the name given to the central church in many French cities and towns” says Henri Chalet.

When the cathedral’s plot of land was first considered for construction in the mid-12th century, it had already been home to a Roman temple, and later two basilicas that had themselves eroded with time. So when Pope Alexander III ordered the laying of the cathedral’s foundation only years later, the cathedral became the fourth chapter in a long line of religious gems to be erected on that spot.

“This majestic building has history seeping out of corner, every turn is almost better than the one before. That’s partly because of the history of damages it has endured. As a centerpiece of French history and symbolism, it has always been under threat of attacks” said the historian Mathieu Lours.

Damaged during the French Revolution, the cathedral was restored in the 19th century by the architect Viollet-le-Duc. But they kept the damaged statues at the front doors, known as portals, as a reminder of the devastating effects of the French Revolution.

Notre-Dame underwent major restorations by the French architect Eugène-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc in the mid-19th century. The popularity of Victor Hugo’s historical novel Notre-Dame de Paris (1831), wherein the cathedral is the setting, was said to have inspired the renovations. 

The stained glass windows of Notre Dame, particularly the three rose windows, were long considered among the best features of the cathedral. They again have been restored over the years but as you embark to the top the towers you can enjoy a Panoramic view of Paris. 

After the fire of 2019, Notre Dame was closed and the task of restoring its former glory from the fire was under way.

The cathedral officially reopened Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, with a special reopening ceremony with lots of special guests including President Macron.

And on December 8, 2024 Notre-Dame was reopened to the public, to much fanfare following a restoration project estimated to cost upward of €700 million ($767 million).

Notre-Dame Cathedral suffered damage and deterioration through the centuries but now the majestic building has been restored to its former glory.