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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
Clarissa Bustamante
I had no idea that the Notre Dame Cathedral was named after the Virgin Mary. I have always admired it’s beauty, but I had no idea about the affects of change. I love how you adding humor to the article kept me intrigued the whole time!
Richard Navarro
Reading about the cathedral is really interesting. Great article! I wish I could visit this place to experience all of the art it has to offer. It’s crazy to think that people actually put meaning into their work. I am no art major, in fact I am far from it. I found very little interest in things of this nature. But after taking an art class at my former college, I learned to appreciate the aspects of ancient art. This cathedral was made throughout the love of art.
Christine Sackey
The cathedral is stunning. I never knew the translation of the church but it makes sense now. Also, that it was created as an education center. The name of the appendages defiantly is a funny name but it did help to create beautiful cathedrals. I hope one day that I would be able to see the cathedral in real life.
Sebastian Castro Ramos
Excellent article! I haven’t had the opportunity to visit this wonderful architectural masterpiece, but I have been able to see it through an accurate virtual replica and the beauty of this place is incomparable to any other of its time. The height of the ceiling is impressive considering the difficulty of constructing such a high on those times were technology wasn’t as developed as it is today.
Rafael Azuaje
Churches, cathedrals, and temples of various sorts have been great examples of architecture since ancient times. In an art history class I once took, the professor explained why Catholic churches were built the way they were. One important idea expressed in the architecture was that we (the churchgoers) were to look up, up, up to God. The ceiling should be grand and very far from the ground to compel the people to look up. In this way their relationship was established. God at the highest position and humans at the lowest position.
Osman Rodriguez
What an interesting read! The history of architecture always has me asking one question, “how is it that they would figure things out while minimizing risks and with limited tools?”. I remember my summer in Europe and seeing amazing cathedrals and other architectural buildings. Unfortunately, I was only able to see Notre Dame from a distance. Also, that is an interesting name they gave the structure which made the building of the cathedral possible.
Tara Sellers
I studied French in high school and we learned the names of many French architecture. However, we never really learned the history behind why they were built. I knew it was a church, but I did not know it was built to be an education center. It seems to have a greater impact on a period than I thought. I learned a lot from this article and enjoyed the references to the Disney cartoon.
Zeresh Haman
I love the title to this article, it peaked my interest. The introduction is great because its light and funny, and brings a bit of humor into the article and it keeps you guessing as to what the article is actually about. I finally know what Notre Dame means, and the story behind its building is awesome. I didn’t know that there uses to be a school connected to the cathedral. I loved reading about the flying buttresses, that part was really super interesting.
Abigale Carney
This was a very interesting article. I had no idea that Notre Dame translated to the Virgin Mary. The Gothic architecture is so beautiful and detailed, I have always loved looking at buildings like Notre Dame. It is pretty interesting that Pope Alexander III laid down the foundation of the cathedral. I never would have known how early in time the Notre Dame was created, 1163 when Pope Alexander III laid the foundation!! Crazy to see such a beautiful old cathedral still standing today.
Alondra Aviles
The article began very strong, with a humorous and enjoyable introduction. Along with the hook, the visual aspect of the article strongly accommodated the broad information given. The beauty of Gothic Architecture is strongly weaved between the intricate details of Notre Dame Cathedral. Clearly a famous architectural piece due to its large statute and infamous movie set in “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” as described in the article. The purpose of the build changed over the ages but is now a piece of art that is worth of admiration. All in all the article was very detailed and concise, creating a vivid mirage of the very real cathedral.