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Notre Dame Cathedral Museum. Notre Dame Cathedral

Notre-Dame-de-Paris thanks to the novel by Victor Hugo is known all over the world. Few people know, but one of the most famous Parisian sights is also obliged to the writer for salvation from destruction.

By the time Hugo's novel was sent to print in 1832, the still not so famous Cathedral of Our Lady was in a very sad state - the years did not spare him. Despite the fact that the building was already more than 500 years old, the history of the attraction did not bother the French much. And the writer himself claimed that one of the tasks he set himself was to teach Parisians to love architecture.

Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris seen from the Seine
View of the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris
Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris - gargoyles

And the architecture of this cathedral really deserves attention. It took more than two centuries to build Notre Dame de Paris - the building in the Gothic style was erected from 1163 to 1345. The process was approached fundamentally: several buildings were demolished, a new road was built. Interestingly, the building was consecrated and began to be used even at the stage of construction - in 1182 the altar was consecrated, although the architectural structure itself had not acquired its final shape by that time. With all this, the nave of the cathedral was completed only by 1196, when money appeared for the construction of the roof.

Not surprisingly, several dozen architects were involved in the construction during the construction. However, in the end they managed to build a unique building, which today claims to be one of the most famous Christian churches in the world (up to 14 million tourists visit it every year). But the desire to realize their own ideas in a common brainchild can still be detected by looking closely at this ensemble. If you look at it closely, it becomes clear that the western wall and towers differ in style and dimensions.

Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris - facade
Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris - walls
Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris - in the evening

Finishing work was completed by 1345, and we can say that until the 18th century, Notre Dame de Paris survived untouched by the hands of builders. But the 18th century gave him a lot of trials and updates.

In 1708 - 1725, under the direction of Robert de Cotes, the cathedral choir was significantly altered. These works became part of the renovation of the cathedral, promised to him for the birth of Anna of Austria, who was able to become pregnant after the vow made to the Virgin. In the process of reconstruction, fragments of columns were removed from the foundation, which were part of the building that stood here earlier. They turned out to be decorated with rich ornaments, and they were created back in the 9th century.

This completed the renovation of the cathedral. In 1789, a revolution broke out in France, led by Robespierre. The revolutionary declared Notre Dame de Paris the "Temple of Reason", and four years later issued a decree to deprive the heads of "stone kings decorating churches." At the same time, the spire of the 13th century was destroyed.

In 1802, during the reign of Napoleon, the crumbling building was returned to the church. And after the work of Hugo gained popularity, the question of the demolition of the building was no longer raised. And in 1841, restoration work began, headed by Viollet-le-Duc, already a popular architect at that time. For 23 years, the building itself was restored, crippled statues were replaced, a new spire 96 meters high was built. Thanks to Viollet-le-Duc, figures of chimeras appeared on the facade and statues of monsters at the foot of the towers.

Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris - inside
Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris
Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris

The exterior of the building, thanks to a minimum of restorations, has been preserved almost in its original beauty. In particular, there are three recognizable lancet portals that hide the entrances, above which there is a panel with gospel scenes. By the way, few people know that sculptures of kings from the Old Testament are depicted above the portals - those that were beheaded by the revolutionaries.

In the external architecture of the cathedral, it is also worth noting the fact that the northern tower is larger than the southern one. And initially there were only bells in it. In particular, the largest one (the one that sounds least of all and has the key of F-sharp). In the 15th century, bells also appeared in the south tower. Today, all of them, except for the giant Emmanuel, sound twice a day. And the most famous bell (and the oldest) is named "Belle".

Point Zero - Kilometer Zero

Very close to Notre Dame de Paris is the Crypt of the Notre Dame porch, a museum that contains exhibits related to the cathedral. In particular, elements of buildings that stood here earlier and were discovered during excavations in 65-72 years of the last century. And on the square in front of the temple you can find the beginning of all roads in the country - the French zero kilometer.

Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris opening hours:
Open every day from 8:00 to 18:45 (19:15 Saturday and Sunday).

Entrance is free and free
Passage with bags and suitcases is prohibited.

Excursions
Excursions in Russian are conducted by volunteers on Tuesday and Wednesday from 14:00, on Saturday 14:30
The meeting point is at the bottom of the cathedral, under the organ.
These tours are free.

Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris in numbers

Approximately 13 million pilgrims and visitors from all over the world per year, or an average of over 30,000 people per day. Some days, over 50,000 visitors a day.

Building
– Area 4800 m2
– The height of the vault is 33 meters
– Height under the roof 43 meters
– Row spacing 10 meters
- The height of the towers is 69 meters
– Steps 380
– The height of the spire is 96 meters

– The length of the nave is 60 meters
– The length of the transept is 14 meters
– The length of the choir is 36 meters
– Total length 128 meters
– The length of the Western facade is 43 meters

– The width of the nave is 12 meters
– The width of the choir is 12 meters
– Total Width 40 meters
– The width of the transverse nave is 48 meters
– The width of the Western facade is 40 meters

– The diameter of the rose on the north and south is 13.10 meters
– Diameter pink west 9.70 meters

bells

The north tower has eight bells cast in 2012:
- Gabriel, #2, 4162 kg, diameter 182.8 cm
- Anne-Geneviève, si2, 3477 kg, diameter 172.5 cm
– Denis, do#3, 2502 kg, diameter 153.6 cm
- Marseille, re # 3, 1925 kg, diameter 139.3 cm
– Etienne, mi#3, 1494 kg, diameter 123.7 cm
– Benoît-Joseph, size #3, 1309 kg, diameter 120.7 cm
– Maurice, floor #3, 1011 kg, diameter 109.7 cm
– Jean-Marie, #3, 782 kg, diameter 99.7 cm

In the south tower, two bells:
– Emmanuel, cast in 1686, f#2, 13230 kg, diameter 262 cm
– Marie, cast 2012, floor #2, 6023 kg, diameter 206.5 cm

Organ
Large Organ: 5 keyboards, 111 registers and 7374 pipes.
Organ Chorus: consists of two keyboards and pedals and 1840 pipes.

Video:

Address: 6 Parvis Notre-Dame - Pl. Jean-Paul II, 75004 Paris

Altarpiece of the North Dame with kneeling statues of Louis XIII and Louis XIV

Temples have been located in this place since time immemorial, even in the era of the Romans there was a temple dedicated to Jupiter. Later, the Merovingians, who ruled Gaul in 500-571, built the Cathedral of St. Etienne here.

The cathedral Notre Dame of Paris was laid in 1163 by Maurice de Sully, Bishop of Paris, and the cornerstone was laid by Pope Alexander III. Its construction lasted until 1345, that is, it took almost two centuries. During this time, the project was led by dozens of architects, which did not prevent them from erecting a beautiful and organic ensemble. According to historical data, several more churches, both Christian and pagan, previously existed on the same site.

The construction of the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris took place with the participation of many architects, but Pierre de Montreuil and Jean de Chelle are considered its main creators who made the greatest contribution. The building was laid during the reign of Louis VII. It was then that the Gothic style in architecture became popular, which was used by architects. This direction successfully mixed with the Romanesque style from the traditions of Normandy, which gave the cathedral a unique look.

Painting "The Coronation of Napoleon I" (December 2, 1804), painted by Jacques-Louis David in 1807

The history of France and Notre Dame cannot be separated, because it was here that the knights offered their prayers, setting off on the Crusades, the coronation of Napoleon, the celebration of the victory over the Nazi troops and many other events took place.

North Dame is shrouded in an atmosphere of mysticism and dark romance

West facade of Notre Dame Cathedral

Notre Dame Cathedral suffered greatly from inept reconstructions during the events of the late 18th century, and later due to popular oblivion. So, the French Revolution almost deprived the world of this unique architectural monument, they even wanted to burn it. Many sculptures were broken or beheaded, stained-glass windows were destroyed, precious utensils were looted. The building was declared the Temple of Reason, then the center of the Cult of the Supreme Being, and later simply turned into a food warehouse. From complete destruction, the architectural ensemble saved Victor Hugo's novel "Notre Dame Cathedral", which took a central place in the story of a hunchback's love for a beautiful gypsy woman. The publication of the work not only made the writer famous, but also drew the attention of the general public to the exceptional historical and aesthetic value of the ancient building.

It is here that "Kilometer Zero" is located - the reference point for all distances in France

It was decided to reconstruct Notre Dame according to all the rules of old technologies. Viollet-le-Duca successfully coped with such a difficult task, since the architect had knowledge of the construction methods of the ancient masters who worked on the construction of the temple. The restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral lasted more than a quarter of a century. During this time, the facades and interior decoration were restored, the gallery of sculptures and part of the gargoyles ruined by the revolutionaries were reconstructed, and all the surviving infernal “guards” were returned to their rightful place.

Additionally, a spire more than 95 meters high was built and installed on the roof. In subsequent years, the Parisians were extremely sensitive to their shrine. It is noteworthy that the temple was practically not damaged during the period of two World Wars. At the end of the 20th century, another restoration was initiated, which made it possible to completely clear the building of city dust, return the sandstone from which the facade is composed, to its original golden hue.

View of Notre Dame Cathedral through the arch

Video: Consequences of a fire in the cathedral

Facade and gargoyles

The most popular attribute of the exterior decoration of the Notre Dame Cathedral are stone demonic creatures. Gargoyles are present here in large numbers and are intended not only for decoration, but also for diverting water from the numerous drains on the roof. The fact is that the unusually complex structure of the roof contributes to the accumulation of moisture due to precipitation, since it cannot drain as freely as from ordinary houses. This can lead to the development of mold, dampness and destruction of stone, so quality gutters are a must for any Gothic cathedral.

Traditionally, unattractive chimney outlets were masked with figures of gargoyles, chimeras, dragons, less often people or real animals. Many see hidden meanings in these demonic images, so there is a lot of room for imagination here. It is noteworthy that at the time of construction there were no stone demons on the cathedral, they were installed at the suggestion of the restorer Viollet-le-Duc, who used this medieval tradition.

Gargoyles of Notre Dame

The main facade is decorated with stone statues and has three portals. The main one is in the middle, its arches support seven statues on each side, and the main decor is relief scenes. Doomsday. The right portal is dedicated to St. Anne, where the Blessed Virgin and Child are depicted, and the left portal is dedicated to the Mother of God, with the signs of the zodiac and the image of the coronation of the Virgin Mary. Huge doors are decorated with forged relief images.

The already mentioned spire on the roof replaced the one that was dismantled in late XVIII century. The design is decorated with four groups of apostles, as well as animals corresponding to the evangelists. All statues face the French capital, with the exception of the patron saint of architects, Saint Thomas, who seems to be admiring the spire.

Almost all stained-glass windows are quite modern, made during the restoration of the temple in the 19th century. Only in the central wind rose some medieval parts have been preserved. The pattern of this large-scale construction (diameter 9.5 meters) of colored glass depicts Mary, as well as rural work, signs of the Zodiac, human virtues and sins. The northern and southern facades are equipped with the largest roses that exist in Europe. Each of them is about 13 meters in diameter.

The facade of Notre Dame, including 3 portals: the Virgin, the Last Judgment and St. Anne, as well as the Gallery of Kings from above

The interior of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris

North Rose of Notre Dame Cathedral

The design in longitudinal section is a cross, in the center of which there is a complex of sculptural images of various gospel scenes. It is interesting that there are no internal supporting walls here, their function is performed by multifaceted columns. A large number of artistic carvings are flooded with unearthly light, which is colored in different colors passing through the glass of several roses. On the right side of Notre Dame, tourists can admire the wonderful sculptures, paintings and other works of art that are traditionally presented as a gift to Our Lady every year on the first of May. The majestic central chandelier, designed by Viollet-le-Duc, was reconstructed to replace a chandelier melted down during the French Revolution.

Interior of Notre Dame

Stained glass window of Notre Dame. Due to the abundance of biblical scenes in the Middle Ages, the cathedral was called the "Bible for non-readers"

Between the portal and the higher tier is the Gallery of the Kings, where sculptures of the Old Testament rulers are exhibited. The revolutionaries ruthlessly destroyed the original statues, so they were made anew. At the end of the 20th century, fragments of individual sculptures were found under one of the Parisian houses. It turned out that the owner bought them in troubled times in order to bury them with honors, and later built his dwelling on this place.

It is impossible not to mention the majestic organ installed in the Notre Dame Cathedral. It was equipped during the construction of the temple, many times rebuilt and reconstructed. To date, this organ is the largest in France in terms of the number of registers and the second in terms of the number of pipes, some of which have been preserved since the Middle Ages.

Organ in Notre Dame Cathedral

south belfry

South Tower of Notre Dame Cathedral

If you want to enjoy Parisian panoramas that are not inferior in beauty to the view from the Eiffel Tower, you should definitely climb the South Tower of Notre Dame Cathedral. A spiral staircase of 387 steps leads here, climbing which you will see the main bell of the cathedral, Emmanuel, and you can also see the gargoyles in close proximity. It is believed that they look so attentively to the west because they are waiting for the sunset, after which they come to life every night.

Museum and Treasury

There is a museum in the cathedral, where every visitor can learn about the history of the temple in detail, listen to many famous and little-known stories related to this place. Various exhibits are stored here that directly relate to the centuries-old life of Notre Dame.

In the Treasury of the Norte-Dame de Paris

From the shrine you can go to the underground Treasury, placed under the square in front of the cathedral. It contains historical and religious relics: utensils, precious objects of art, and so on. But the most important exhibits are the Crown of Thorns of Christ, one of the nails with which Jesus was crucified, and a fragment of that same cross.

Gargoyle of Notre Dame

Procedure and cost of visiting

To get inside the Notre Dame Cathedral, you will have to stand in a long line. According to statistics, every day the threshold of Notre Dame, depending on the season, crosses from 30 to 50 thousand people. Entrance to the cathedral itself is free, but each adult will have to pay 15 euros to climb the bell tower. Those under the age of 26 can enter for free. The cost of visiting the Treasury is 4 euros for adults, 2 € - for young people 12-26 years old, 1 € - for visitors 6-12 years old. Children under 6 years of age can enter free of charge. In addition, on all Fridays of Great Lent, as well as on the first days of each month, treasures are taken out for public viewing free of charge. Such exhibitions usually begin around three o'clock in the afternoon.

Each visitor has the opportunity to use an audio guide in English, German, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Chinese or Japanese. The cost of this service is 5 euros.

How to get there

The full address of the shrine is 6 place du Parvis Notre-Dame, Ile de la Cit, 75004 Paris. A five-minute walk from the metro stations "Chalet", "Cite Island" and "Hotel de Ville". In addition, you can use bus routes No. 21, 38, 47 or 85. On weekdays, Notre Dame Cathedral is open from 8.00 to 18.45, on Saturdays and Sundays from 7.00 to 15.00. Every Saturday there are services at 5.45 and also at 18.15.

Illuminated Notre Dame Cathedral

Every more or less large city in countries where the main religion is Christianity (and not only in them) can boast of a cathedral and, sometimes, more than one.

Perhaps the most famous, most fascinating and unusual, which has absorbed many legends, is Notre Dame Cathedral, or Notre Dame de Paris. It can be called the heart of France.

On the square in front of the cathedral there is a sign “zero kilometer”, it is from this point that all roads of the country are counted.

It was built on the Ile de la Cite, which is also called the "cradle of Paris". Once upon a time there was ancient temple Jupiter, and then the first Christian church Paris - St. Stephen's Basilica.

History of Notre Dame de Paris

The history of the cathedral begins with the appointment of the Bishop of Paris Maurice de Sully, who became the main initiator of the construction of the remarkable temple throughout France. The ceremony of laying the first stone in 1163 was attended by Pope Alexander III, which gave rise to historians to assume that he personally laid this stone.

The construction of the building lasted for almost 170 years, although the main part of the cathedral was actually completed in 1196, when the nave of the building was completed. A few days after the completion of work in the nave, Maurice de Sgolli, who was already well over seventy, died. And the cathedral was completely completed in 1330.

Due to such a long construction period, the building of the cathedral contains features of both Romanesque and Gothic styles, which gives it both monumentality and elegance. In the south and east of the cathedral there are two bell towers, the height of which is 69 meters.

Features of the interior design of the cathedral

Since the decoration was completed during the era of the dominance of the Gothic style, there are no frescoes inside, and the only source of color is the giant stained-glass windows in the lancet windows.

Unfortunately, of the original stained-glass windows, only a part in the south “rose” window has survived to this day. It depicts Christ surrounded by the Virgin Mary, saints and 12 apostles.

In the 17th-18th centuries, the cathedral was partially rebuilt, the pulpit and tombs were demolished inside, and some of the original stained-glass windows were replaced with ordinary glass.

But real disasters befell the cathedral in the era Great French Revolution.

First, it was looted and partially destroyed, then turned into a "Temple of Reason", after which it completely became a wine warehouse.

Under Napoleon Bonaparte, the cathedral was re-consecrated, but after the return of the Bourbons, it was abandoned and was in danger of demolition.

In 1841, restoration began, which lasted 23 years. The repair work was led by Viollet-le-Duc, who came up with the idea of creating the famous statues of chimeras at the foot of the towers.

The Mother of God with two angels is located in the center of the main stained-glass window-rose, the diameter of which is 9.6 meters, and on the left and right, as a reminder of the original sin, are Adam and Eve.

Wrought iron with a fancy pattern gives beauty to the doors entrance doors to the Cathedral.

The northern and southern portals have their own names, the northern - in honor of Virgin Mary, and the southern one - in honor of Saint Anna.

The scenes of the Last Judgment are located on the central portal. The ledges are famous for the figures depicted on them: on the left - St. Dionysius, the first bishop, on the right - St. Etienne, the deacon.

Lighting in Notre Dame is natural, but very poor, as light penetrates only through high, lancet windows, glazed with stained glass.

As usual for everyone Catholic churches, unlike the Orthodox, there is absolutely no painting on the walls of the Cathedral. And only around the main altar the walls are covered with reliefs telling about the life of Jesus Christ.

The main, largest bell, whose tone is F-sharp, sounds quite rarely. All other bells that have their own names ring at eight o'clock in the morning and seven o'clock in the evening.

Bell names:

Angelique Francoise, weight is 1765 kg, tone C sharp.
Antoinette Charlotte, weight is 1158 kg, D-sharp tone.
Hyacinthe Jeanne, weight is 813 kg, tone fa.
Denise David, weight is 670 kg, F-sharp tone.

Believers are given the opportunity to venerate shrines on the first Friday of each month, as well as on Good Friday of the Catholic Lent. It is on these days that the Crown of Thorns, a particle of the Cross of the Lord and the Cluster from the Cross become available for worship.

But the line is huge, you need to come and take a seat early, long before the start of the ceremonies.

Listening to the amazing sound of a six-ton bell, one cannot help but recall the immortal work of Victor Hugo and his main characters - the hunchback Quasimodo, the beautiful Esmeralda, the handsome Phoebe ... After all, the unfortunate Quasimodo entrusted all his troubles and sufferings to this bell.

And every Sunday a mass is held in the Cathedral, to which everyone is allowed. At mass, you can enjoy the sounds of the largest organ in the country. Admission these days is free.

Notre Dame de Paris is second in popularity only to the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, tourists come here in millions.

Over the centuries of the existence of the Cathedral, a huge collection of ceremonial things and religious shrines has gathered there, such as a piece of a cross and a nail from the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, various manuscripts, sacred bowls, and robes.

During the tour, you will climb the 422 steps of the spiral staircase, go out to the observation deck and enjoy a beautiful view of the Ile de la Cité.

It is here that you will see the thirteen-ton bell named Emmanuel, which sounds only in special cases - during large church holidays and after terrible catastrophes, when all peoples unite in common grief and compassion, for example, this happened after the tragedy of the twin towers in America.

The path also goes through Chimera Gallery created only in the nineteenth century.

To purchase tickets and get on the tour, you need to find the foot of the North Tower from the side of Monastery Street (Address: Rue du cloitre Notr-Dame), buy tickets and enjoy immersing yourself in history.

Children too, no doubt, should visit this one of the main attractions of Paris.

But to make it more interesting for them, first show them the Disney cartoon The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Then the kids will not yawn and dream of leaving as soon as possible, but will look at everything around and try to compare what they see in the cartoon with reality.

Address of Notre Dame Cathedral

6pl. du Parvis Notre-Dame
Metro: Cite or St-Michel RER: St-Michel

Cathedral opening hours

8.00 – 18.45 (Saturday and Sunday: until 19.15)

The opening hours of the towers and the Gallery of Chimeras (may differ from the opening hours of the Cathedral itself)

October 1 - March 31: 10.00 - 17.30
April 1 - September 30: 10.00 - 18.30 (on Saturdays and Sundays in June, July and August until 23.00)
Entrance closes a quarter of an hour before closing
The cathedral is closed: January 1, May 1 and December 25

Entrance to the cathedral is free. The towers are paid for adults, under 18s are free.

“Il est venu le temps des cathédrales”… the song from the musical “Notre-Dame de Paris”, which has become so popular, brought glory not only to the performers, but also aroused the interest of the whole world in the novel by Victor Hugo, and in the most grandiose cathedral in France, Notre Dame Cathedral.

The cathedral, sung by Victor Hugo in his novel of the same name, is considered the main spiritual center of Paris, and many call it the "heart" of the city. Rising above Paris, the cathedral attracts not only with its splendor, but also with numerous secrets. Legends are made up about the secrets of Notre Dame Cathedral.

On the site of the current Notre Dame in the 4th century, the church of St. Sebastian was located, and not far from it was a temple Mother of God. However, in the XII century. Both of these buildings fell into a deplorable state, and the Parisian bishop Maurice de Sully decided to build a new cathedral in their place, which, according to his plan, was to surpass all the cathedrals in the world in grandeur.

The construction of Notre Dame Cathedral lasted almost two centuries. More than a dozen famous architects worked on its appearance, but the greatest contribution to the creation of so many-sided cathedral was made by Jean de Chelle and Pierre de Montreuil.

The length of the cathedral is 130 meters, the height of the towers is 69 meters, and the capacity is about 9,000 people.

Notre Dame Cathedral was built on the ruins of a Roman temple dedicated to Jupiter. The first stone of the basilica was laid by Pope Alexander III in 1163.

Many different architects took part in the construction, which is evidenced by the different style and height of the western facade and towers.

The construction of the towers was completed in 1245, and the entire cathedral in 1345. The gigantic dimensions of the cathedral knew no equal until the middle of the 13th century, when construction began. cathedrals in Reims and Amiens.

Le Corbusier spoke of the western façade of Notre Dame Cathedral as a "pure creation of the spirit". Indeed, the two geometric figures present here - a circle and a square, symbolize, respectively, the infinity of God and the limitations of the space created by him. Their coexistence in the lines of the facade shows how the world of God invades the world created through the sacraments of the Incarnation and the Nativity of Christ.

Under the balustrade stretches the "gallery of kings", 28 statues of which represent 28 generations of Jewish kings - the ancestors of Jesus and Mary.

The western facade of Notre Dame has three entrances, their lancet portals are decorated with sculptural panels depicting various episodes of the Gospel. Here the essence of Christianity is briefly and expressively told and embodied.

In the photo - the central portal, known as the "Doomsday Portal". The entrance arches support seven statues on each side. Down in the center on the lintel are depicted the dead, risen from the graves, awakened by two angels with trumpets. Above them is a scene of the weighing of the souls of the dead by the Archangel Michael. According to this, the elect are led to Paradise (according to right hand from Christ), and the devil leads the damned to hell, to the left. Further up, on the tympanum, Christ the Judge and angels are depicted. The curves of the vault are occupied by images of angels, patriarchs, prophets, martyrs and virgins.

The northern "Portal of the Mother of God" tells about the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, her ascension to Paradise and coronation as the Queen of Heaven.

The facades of Notre Dame Cathedral are richly decorated with sculptures. They are among the finest sculptures of the Middle Ages. The sculptures tell us the story from the Fall to the Last Judgment.

Spire of the Cathedral, at the base of the statue of the Apostles.

Equestrian sculpture of Charlemagne in front of the facade

Behind the Cathedral of the Cathedral Fountain of the Virgin

The decoration of the cathedral is dominated by grey colour, this is the color of the stone from which the walls are composed. The cathedral has very few windows and is rather dark and gloomy. The stained-glass windows serve as the only source of light, but the light penetrating through the numerous stained-glass windows fills the temple with various shades.

In addition to candles, the cathedral is additionally illuminated with bronze chandeliers, but the light is still not enough, and it takes some time for the eyes to get used to the twilight that reigns inside. This play of light gives the cathedral a special enchanting beauty and a certain mystery.

The majestic interior of the cathedral, its incredible size of the naves and transept amaze everyone who enters! North Dame served as a place for the coronations of French monarchs and the blessing of the crusaders. And on August 18, 1572, it was here that the marriage of Henry of Navarre (the future King Henry IV) and Margaret of Valois, familiar to us from the famous novel by Dumas "Queen Margot", took place.

The massiveness of the columns on which the lancet vaults of the naves rest is facilitated by carved capitals. The ornament with which they are decorated resembles the foliage of trees and serves as a reminder of the Garden of Eden.

Standing with your back to the entrance, you can at a glance capture the central nave, the main altar in the center with the statue of the Sorrowful Mother of God, as well as the intersection of the central nave and the transept of the cathedral - the crossroads, especially illuminated and marked with the image of the Virgin Mary.

First, feeling a delicate aroma that cannot be confused with anything, and then - seeing a huge bouquet of royal lilies that exudes it, you can see the image of the Virgin Mary towering in the depths of the temple - Notre Dame proper. This work of the XIV century was placed in the cathedral only in 1818 to replace the statue of the XIII century, destroyed during the French Revolution. Hosted on your historical place, this Virgin Mary is one of 37 images of Our Lady in the cathedral dedicated to her.

The gloominess of the lancet vaults of Notre Dame is brightened up by bright stained-glass windows that adorn not only the huge rose windows of the northern and southern portals, but also the many windows located under the very stream.

It is thanks to these amazingly clear and rich color pictures that the temple ceases to crush and fetter with its size, the stained-glass windows give "humanity" to the interior, and the meager illumination of the cathedral is reborn into a mysterious twilight. In front of these bright spots, you involuntarily stop and look at the images, trying to remember or recognize this or that biblical story, which illustrates the stained glass window.

Of course, rose windows also make a huge impression. Pictured here is the north rosette, made around 1250, the one that retains most of the original glass. In the center is the Virgin Mary, carrying the baby Jesus in her womb, surrounded by characters Old Testament. Both sockets with a diameter of 13 m are considered masterpieces of Christian art.

As in most Catholic cathedrals (unlike Orthodox ones), Notre Dame Cathedral has a double gallery surrounding the choirs and the main altar. She hides along the altar barrier - a high partition separating the choir from the nave, which allowed the priests to pray in peace and solitude, protecting themselves from the noisy flock.

From the side of the gallery, the altar barrier is decorated with polychrome bas-reliefs, which, however, have survived only partially in their original form. Here in the photo is a bas-relief on which you can recognize Christ and his disciples.

The cathedral houses one of the greatest relics of Christianity - the Crown of Thorns of Jesus Christ. He made his way from Jerusalem to Constantinople. Until 1063 it was kept in Jerusalem, in 1063 it was moved to Constantinople. Then the Crusader soldiers captured Byzantium.

Byzantium was in a plundered state, local princes needed money, and Bedouin II began to sell relics. So the crown of thorns was redeemed by Louis IX.

In 1239 the Crown of Thorns was brought to Paris. By order of Louis, he was placed in a specially built chapel, where he stayed until the French Revolution. During the era of the revolution, the chapel was destroyed, but the crown was saved, and in 1809 it was placed in the Notre Dame Cathedral, where it remains to this day.

Along with the Crown of Thorns, the cathedral also houses a nail from the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. Another nail can be seen in the cathedral city of Carpentras. Two more nails are in Italy.

Since ancient times, nails have been a dispute among historians, how many were there three or four? But the answer to this question has not been found to date.

Notre Dame is full of legends. One of these legends is associated with the gate in front of the entrance to the cathedral. They are so magnificent that it is hard to believe that a man could have created them. Legend has it that their author was a blacksmith named Biscornet, who, commissioned by a canon of Notre Dame, agreed to forge a gate worthy of the greatness of the cathedral. Biskorn was afraid not to justify the trust of the canon, and he decided to turn to the devil for help, promising to give his soul for an excellent job.

The gates for the cathedral were a real masterpiece, openwork weaves combined with figured locks. But the trouble is, even the blacksmith could not open the locks on the gates, they did not succumb to anyone, only after sprinkling with holy water they succumbed. Biskorn could not explain what was happening, he was speechless, and a few days later he died of an unknown illness. And he took one of the secrets of Notre Dame Cathedral with him to the grave.

But the most exciting and memorable event when visiting the cathedral was for me a walk through the gallery of chimeras!

Looking from the outside at the walls of the cathedral from the bottom up, you can see with the naked eye monsters, bats, vampires and mythical creatures, which, as it were, jump out and crawl out .... In fact, this is nothing more than the ends of beams and ceilings, covered with the muzzles of monsters. It seems completely unthinkable and incompatible this combination of images of demons with the very building of a Christian church. However, according to Christian iconography, everything here is logical and natural. In the Middle Ages, people believed that like scares away like, and accordingly, in order to turn away evil spirits and the Unclean One itself from the temple, it is necessary to depict this same evil spirits on the temple itself. This is how these strange creatures "settled" here. And either they are guarding the temple, or they are fleeing from it, seized with horror .....

But why do they “decorate” the building of the temple? Are they just a decorative element, or are they endowed with some kind of mystical ability?

Chimeras have long been considered the silent guardians of the cathedral. It was believed that at night the chimeras come to life and bypass their possessions, carefully guarding the peace of the building. In fact, according to the intention of the creators of the cathedral, chimeras personify the human character and variety of moods: from melancholy to anger, from smiles to tears. Chimeras are so "humanized" that they began to seem like living beings. And there is a legend that if you look at them in the twilight for a very long time, they “come to life”. And if you take a picture next to the chimera, then in the photo the person seems to be a stone statue.

At the corners of each of the bell towers, statues of chimeras and gargoyles are installed - an intricate invention of the architect Viollet-le-Duc, who from 1841 led the restoration work at Notre Dame, and wished to decorate the building in this way, and at the same time arouse interest and draw public attention to it.

This is the most famous of the chimeras, it can be seen immediately at the entrance to the gallery. As if in thought, she contemplates the life of the ever-changing capital from above... I confess, I partly came to the gallery for the sake of this shot, because I had already seen such an image many times, but, of course, I wanted to verify the existence of such a character personally.

All these incredible monsters, hybrid animals and fantastic birds perched on the ledges of the bell towers and "guard" the ancient building... holiness and vice exist here independently and in parallel from each other - the sacred abode of Christianity, and evil spirits on its bell towers.... And yet - all this forms a single building of the temple, an architectural complex, to which, perhaps, the epithet "frozen music" is most suitable.

But the gargoyles of Notre Dame settled here already in the Middle Ages. Yes, gargoyles and chimeras are not the same thing. Gargoyles are inferior in popularity to their "little sisters". And it is believed that the most beautiful gargoyles are at the level of the flying buttresses of the choir. If chimeras are a decorative element of the cathedral, then the gargoyles had a completely different purpose.

From French, gargouille is translated as a gutter or drainpipe. Thus, the monsters are nothing more than drainpipes that divert rainwater from the roof and walls of the cathedral.

Notre Dame Cathedral is so diverse and many-sided that it attracts a huge number of tourists every year. Every Sunday you can attend a Catholic mass, and hear the largest organ in France, hear the unusual sound of a six-ton bell (it was this bell that Quasimodo had a special love for)

The views of Paris from the height of the cathedral are amazing! The whole city can be covered with one glance. To the east, the Seine and modern part cities...

And in the west - its historical part. On the Ile de la Cité, the Sainte-Chapelle and the Palace of Justice are visible, and further on - the Louvre, the La Defense district and the Eiffel Tower.

Having been in the gallery of chimeras for 5-10 minutes, you don’t know where to look: either at the gargoyles, or at Paris, or at the cathedral that has become incredibly close, at those corners that are not visible from there, from below, and to which here - at hand!

For example - up to a 90 m high spire, designed by the same Viollet-le-Duc instead of a small spire that was destroyed during the Revolution ...

Or to the angel proclaiming the Last Day of the World...

Or to bloodthirsty monsters devouring their victims...

"Emmanuel" weighs more than 13 tons, and its tongue is about 500 kg. The bell rings only at the most solemn days- on major Catholic holidays.

There is a certain unusual harmony and harmony in the whole appearance of this particular temple. Bulky and monolithic - at first glance, and unusual lightness and airiness - if you look closely, or go around and examine it from all sides.
This square behind the cathedral is one of the most secluded and cozy corners in the city. Very close - crowded boulevards, marinas river trams, metro stations, noisy squares, crowds of restless three hundred, attacking both the cathedral itself and other sights of the Cite Island ... And it's quiet here. Water in the fountain murmurs softly, flower beds are fragrant, passers-by are resting in the shade of trees .... And the cathedral itself is the logical dominant of this place, where the eyes of everyone who is here are fixed. arched buttresses and flying buttresses in the eastern part of the cathedral. It is unlikely that Notre Dame would have been so monumental and impressive if it had not been reliably protected from its most vulnerable and fragile side - from the rear - by such a wonderful garden .... And the more time you spend here, the more you wonder: is it a cathedral built in the middle of the garden ..... either the garden was planted around the cathedral in order to shelter and protect it from all evil spirits and from prying eyes

God's Garden ~ Notre Dame de Paris

Musical "Notre Dame de Paris"

What does the musical Notre Dame de Paris mean to you? This most popular work left few people indifferent, it has an extraordinary bewitching power. What is his secret? Maybe it's all about the spectacular production, an extraordinary story of love and betrayal, told by the brilliant Hugo? Or is it all about amazing music, in which French chanson and gypsy motifs are intertwined? Just imagine, because this work contains 50 songs dedicated to the brightest and strongest feeling - love, and almost all of them have become real hits.

Summary of the musical "Notre Dame de Paris" and many interesting facts read about this work on our page.

Characters	Description
Esmeralda	a beautiful gypsy who captured the hearts of several men at once
Quasimodo	the ugly bell ringer raised by Frollo
Frollo	Archdeacon of Notre Dame Cathedral
Phoebe de Chateaupe	captain of the royal shooters, infatuated with a dancer
Clopin	Clopin
Clopin	the young bride of Phoebe de Chateaupert
Gringoire	the poet saved from death by Esmeralda

Summary

In the center of this sad story is the young beauty Esmeralda, who was raised by the gypsy king Clopin, who replaced her father and mother. Their camp makes an attempt to illegally enter Paris in order to find refuge in the Cathedral, but the soldiers notice the uninvited guests and immediately drive them away. The handsome Phoebus da Chateauper, who is the captain of the royal shooters, draws attention to the young Esmeralda. Captivated by the beauty of the girl, he completely forgets about his bride Fleur-de-Lys, to whom he is engaged.

The captain is not the only one who drew attention to the young dancer. Quasimodo also has tender feelings for her, who specially comes to the festival of jesters in order to once again admire his beloved. His stepfather and strict mentor Frollo forbids even thinking about this girl and looking at her, but does it because of intense jealousy. It turns out that the archdeacon is also in love with Esmeralda, only he does not have the right to do so.

Frolo develops an insidious plan - to kidnap the gypsy and lock her in the tower, and he tries to steal the girl with Quasimodo under cover of night, but Phoebus saves the gypsy in time. Taking advantage of the moment, the captain immediately invites the beauty on a date.

An unwitting witness to the kidnapping, as well as the brave act of the captain, is the poet Gringoire, whom the gypsy king Cloper wants to hang, for violating the rules of the camp, because he visited the Court of Miracles, and it is strictly forbidden to do this. But Esmeralda saves Gringoire and must now marry him. But the gypsy is already in love with another, with her savior, Phoebe de Chateauper.

The archdeacon keeps a close eye on Esmeralda and the captain as they go on a date, and, blinded by jealousy, lashes out at the rival. As a result, Frollo wounds Phoebe with a knife. But Esmeralda already has to pay for this crime, because it is she who is accused of attempting to kill the captain. At the trial, the gypsy tries to prove that she is innocent, but Esmeralda is not listened to and is sentenced to death.

While the girl is in prison awaiting her sentence, Frollo visits her. The archdeacon offers to save the beauty in exchange for her devotion and love, but she refuses him. Hearing this, Frollo pounces on Esmeralda, but the girl is saved in time by Clopin and Quasimodo who arrived in time. The whole camp came to help the captive, and a fight broke out between the gypsies and the royal soldiers. As a result of this collision, Clopin dies, and Esmeralda is arrested again, and Frollo himself hands her over to the executioner. In desperation, he shares this with Quasimodo, confessing that he did all this because of the beauty’s refusal, and he in anger throws the insidious Frollo off the tower, and he rushes to the place of execution in order to wrap the already dead Esmeralda in his arms for the last time.

A photo:

Interesting Facts

A record number of applicants came to the casting for the Russian version of the musical - about one and a half thousand, and only 45 of them were taken into the troupe.
For the production of the Russian version, about 4.5 million dollars were spent, and 15 million were collected for the entire time of the show in the Moscow theater.
By 2016, the total number of spectators who watched the performance around the world amounted to more than 15 million people.
It is worth noting that the author of the famous "Notre Dame" also wrote a musical on a rather unusual Russian theme. He called this work "The Decembrists", the development of the libretto was carried out by the poet Ilya Reznik.
Currently, a shortened version of the musical by Alexander Marakulin is on tour in our country. The artists of the troupe even became defendants in a criminal case on copyright infringement.
In Nizhny Novgorod, a parody of the performance was staged with almost identical scenery.
Not without some mistakes in the French production of the musical. So, it was noticed that there is an inscription anarchy on the wall, although another word was originally assumed - ananke, which means rock. Already in the new Mogadorian version of the play, this word was corrected.

Popular numbers:

Belle (listen)

Dechire (listen)

Vivre (listen)

Le temps des cathedrales (listen)

History of creation

Surprisingly, this musical became popular even before its premiere due to the fact that a CD was released with recordings of some of the singles (16 songs). The presented compositions made an unprecedented sensation and rapidly began to win the hearts of the public. The premiere, which took place on September 16, 1998 in Paris at the Palais des Congrès, was a resounding success. The part of the main character was performed by Noah (recorded), and then Helen Segara, the role of Quasimodo went to Pierre Garan (Garu) , Phoebe - Patrick Fiori, Gringoire - Bruno Pelletier, Frollo - Dariel Lavoie. The director was the Frenchman Gilles Maillot, who at that time was known to the general public for his productions. In general, the performance turned out to be a little unusual, because it differed from the established format of musicals by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Claude-Michel Schonberg: minimalist stage design, modern ballet choreography, unusual format.

Songs from the musical immediately began to lead various charts, and the most popular of them "Belle" became a real world hit. After its success in France, the musical went on its triumphal procession to other countries of the world.

In 2000, the composer created the second edition of the musical, and this version was already presented at the Mogador Theater. It was this option that was used for the Russian, Spanish, Italian, Korean and other versions.

The Russian premiere was successfully held on May 21, 2002 at the Moscow Operetta Theater. The production was directed by Wayne Fawkes, invited from the UK. When they first started working on the score, Julius Kim, who was in charge of translating the libretto, admitted that it was rather difficult to do. Moreover, not only professional poets were engaged in such a painstaking process. That is why Susanna Tsiryuk became the author of the translation of the composition “Belle”, she also owns the text for the songs “Live”, “Sing to me, Esmeralda”. But the translation of the single "My Love" was done by the schoolgirl Daria Golubotskaya. It is worth noting that in our country the performance was also promoted according to the European model: about a month before the premiere, the song “Belle” was launched on the radio station performed by Vyacheslav Petkun (Quasimodo), which immediately became popular. Elements of Western style are also present in the choreography.

In 2011, it was decided to organize an international troupe, which included artists from different countries who made a world tour. Each time she was greeted by an enthusiastic audience and a standing ovation. Until now, this musical has been successfully performed on various stages of the world. Throughout its existence, it has been shown in 15 different countries and translated into seven languages.

Notre Dame de Paris is considered to be one of the most popular and recognized musicals among the public. Actually, it's not even surprising. It captures literally from the first second to the very curtain, does not let go of the audience. It is difficult to imagine another such most popular and recognizable work. It is even more difficult to say which of the songs written by the most popular and greatest lyricist of the Francophonie is the most beautiful, because they are all beautiful! So what does the musical Notre Dame de Paris mean to you? This is love, memories of tender feelings, sadness, seal, compassion and endless admiration for the bewitching beauty of music.

"Notre Dame de Paris"