1. Built over a Pagan city
The Notre-Dame was built over the ruins of what was once the Gallo-Roman city of Lutetia. Before the cathedral was built there were four other churches that stood at the same place one after the other over centuries. And before the churches, there stood a Gallo-Roman temple dedicated to Jupiter. In 1160, when the Bishop of Paris. Maurice de Sully decided to build the Notre-Dame, he called for the demolition of the earlier church and chose to reuse some of its material for the Notre-Dame.
2. When Victor Hugo saved the cathedral
The cathedral was in a degraded state since the French Revolution. Some of its statues had been destroyed, while most of its bells had been melted and used as cannon balls. Not much importance was given to the Notre-Dame until Napoleon decided to crown himself the Emperor of France in the cathedral.
In 1831, French writer Victor Hugo published his masterpiece The Hunchback of Notre Dame or Notre-Dame de Paris, which revolved around the cathedral and served as a tribute to the monument. The book became so popular that the public demanded restoration of the Notre-Dame, ultimately leading to massive renovations directed by French architect Viollet-le-Duc in the mid-19th century.
3. The Gargoyles are not so medieval
The famous Gargoyles that can be found around the cathedral are not from the medieval times, as many think. They were in fact added during the 19th Century restoration work by Viollet-le-Duc, inspired by the creatures that appear in Victor Hugo’s book.
4. All roads lead to the Notre-Dame
On the square in front of the Notre-Dame, is a tiny plate engraved with a compass, embedded in the cobblestones. It is marked Point zero des routes de France or Point Zero of French Roads. This is the point from which all distances to and from Paris are measured.
5. Fire, destruction and restoration
On April 15, 2019, the roof of the Notre-Dame caught fire while undergoing renovation and restoration. The fire burned for around 15 hours and destroyed many parts of the cathedral. It also led to the contamination of the site and the surrounding environment. Following the fire, many companies and individuals made donations to restore the monument and on July 29, 2019, the French National Assembly passed a law stating that the restoration must preserve the cathedral’s historic, artistic and architectural interest. In November 2020, the structure was stabilised to prevent any possible collapse and reconstruction of the cathedral commenced again in January 2021.
Picture Credit : Google
