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Whenever we hear the name Notre Dame, one of two things might come to mind: the movie that we all watched and loved, about a man who rang the bells at a church, called “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” or the notorious Fighting Irish football team in Indiana from Notre Dame University. Well, if you were hoping that this was an article on Quasimodo or the Division I football team, I am sorry to disappoint you. But do not be too discouraged because, instead, you will read about one of the most beautiful cathedrals that has ever been built (and it is in the film the “Hunchback of Notre Dame,” so that is relatively close). The Notre Dame de Paris, or as we call it in English, the Notre Dame Cathedral, is a massive Gothic cathedral that represents the times and art of medieval Europe.
The architectural style of Gothic came into existence in Europe in the mid-twelfth century and lasted until the sixteenth century.1 The idea of the Notre Dame de Paris, which translates to “Our Lady of Paris,” was established by Maurice de Sully in 1160 who was the bishop of Paris at the time.
He wanted to build a cathedral church dedicated to the Virgin Mary; hence the name’s translation. The first stone for the foundation was laid by Pope Alexander III in 1163.2 The Notre Dame Cathedral was built on the ruins of two previous churches in the eastern end of the Ile de la Cite, which is the “historical heart of the city.”3 The purpose for it being built, beside dedication to the Virgin Mary, was for it to be an education center. During the high middle ages, the increasing wealth and social complexity of the cities created the demand for educated individuals to deal with “political, legal, and theological issues.” The institution did not, however, hold classes inside of the cathedral. Instead, there was a school connected to the cathedral.4
Emerging from the Romanesque Era, the Gothic Age of architecture came along with its signature innovation: the flying buttress. You probably think I am joking with a name like that, but those types of appendages to the frames of Gothic cathedrals were what allowed for these cathedrals to be built so tall. During the Romanesque Era, cathedrals were much shorter due to the heavy stones that were used for building the walls, limiting how tall they could build. The classic Roman arches could not evenly distribute the weight with the dome shape they took.5
Now if we take a look at the cathedrals during the Gothic Age, the difference in height can be readily noticed. The cathedrals during this time seemed to tower over those of the previous era. For that, we can thank the flying buttresses that were mentioned earlier. These buttresses were able to absorb the weight displacement of the walls, allowing them to be made taller, and allowing them to have large spaces for stained glass windows, which were not possible for Romanesque cathedrals. The weight of the stones could be easily supported by the thin intersecting arches. The architects discovered that the outward thrust of the vaults were concentrated in the small areas at the springing of the ribs and were also deflected downward by the pointed arches; the pressure could be counteracted by the narrow buttresses. Rows of carved flying buttresses created the signature look for Gothic masterpieces such as the Notre Dame de Paris, Amiens, and Beauvais.6
The Notre Dame de Paris is a model cathedral for the era of Gothic Architecture. The multipurpose cathedral created an environment of religious and secular education that helped shape the minds of the world. I know that there was no mention of a “Hunchback” in this article of the Notre-Dame, but I can guarantee that Quasimodo was proud to ring the bells of such a monumental cathedral.
- Encyclopaedia Britannica, s.v. “Gothic Architecture.” ↵
- Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition s.v. “Notre-Dame de Paris.” ↵
- Encyclopaedia Britannica, s.v. “Notre-Dame de Paris.“ ↵
- Earle E. Cairns, Christianity Through the Centuries: A History of the Christian Church (Zondervan, 1996), 234. ↵
- Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, 2016, s.v. “Romanesque Art and Architecture.” ↵
- Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, 2016, s.v. “Romanesque Art and Architecture.” ↵
125 comments
Hayden Hollinger
The Notre Dame Cathedral is an incredible piece of architecture and this article does a great job of explaining the background of the building. It was interesting to find out that the cathedral was in fact built on the ruins of old churches and that it was supposed to be an education centre. I found it interesting to read about the differences between this specific structure compared to the others of its time.
Anayeli Prieto
Very excellent article. It is very interesting to know that in the past there were many uses for many structures and buildings that we don’t use today. Overall the structure and the very just some details give these buildings lots of attention from the public and tourists but it also gives us a sense of the styles in the ancient times and were able to see how they lived off of the structures and how they created them. In Paris you can see unnoticed that they use lots of details for their buildings and maybe have a cultural significance to the people in ancient time.
Teresa Valdez
Although I have studied the architecture of the Notre Dame Cathedral, I never knew that it was meant to be an education center. This article gives nice insight into the specific reasons this site was built. It makes good connections between the architectural innovations of the Gothic Age with the evolving society. The pictures are beautiful! I wish I could go see the stained glass in person.
Priscilla Reyes
When thinking of the most elegant cathedral, one would never imagine it was built on the ruins of two previous churches. I don’t know if you stated how long It took for this church to be built, but I can imagine it was many years of hard work after the first stone was laid in the year 1163.
It’s amazing how this was a place of meeting for open discussion for some. Great job!
Bailey Rider
I’ve been inside Notre Dam and it really is strikingly beautiful. It was interesting to learn about how the flying buttresses made the architects able to add more height as well as add in larger stained glass windows. I loved reading about how they attached a school to the cathedral to further education! I also thought it was interesting and beautiful that the cathedral was named after the Virgin Mary. Excellent article!
Mariana Govea
What a great Introduction into getting your reader hooked! I had heard of this Cathedral, but never really knew much about it! Its such a beautiful cathedral and its great to know its background, since specially since Ii am a Catholic its good to know about these cathedrals that have been around for quite a really long time! As well as its architecture its mesmerizing, and to know that back then these Cathedrals were built to not only provide the people a place where they could grow in faith but in education as well as mentioned in the article that this cathedral was connected to a school! Its always great to know about Cathedrals since usually they are the center of attention of a city! Great way of describing the architecture! Good job!
Luke Trevino
I never new of THIS Notre Dame. I find it truly fascinating that it was also beautiful for classroom usuage as well as a church. It’s also pretty cool how they built such an amazing Cathedral with such limited technology. The gothic era in general is a fascinating time period considering all the amazing articture that was built. Overall, very good essay and next time I think Notre Dame I just won’t think the school or the movie!
Nicolas McKay
I’ve always admired the Notre Dame Cathedral and Gothic architecture in general so this was a very interesting article for me. I love the casual narration you use when writing your piece. Maybe next time you can write an article about the team or the hunchback haha.
Erik Rodriguez
Awesome article and great introduction! I love your reference to The Hunchback of Norte Dame. I was fortunate enough to visit the cathedral and in my opinion this cathedral was one of the most beautiful buildings. It was innovative and it is amazing how they accomplished this complex structure with limited technology.
Great article!
Tina Valdez
Really interesting article! I have always wondered about the architecture of Cathedrals in general given that it all appears so precise and exquisite. You offered some great insight. I also found interesting that Notre Dame Cathedral was built on the ruins of two previous churches – this “historical heart of the city” must be dear to many. It being an education center is also very interesting – certainly different from other Cathedrals.