Trips To Paris

As you stroll down Rue de Notre Dame, close to The Seine, you will see rising, white and majestic, the great Parisian cathedral. This monument will take your breath away, for sure.

Its architecture is one of a kind and it is the oldest and most beautiful cathedral ever built in the City of Light.

The father of the cathedral is Bishop Maurice de Sully. In the late 10^th century he took it upon himself to remove the old cathedral and replace it with a new one, more beautiful. He demolishes everything in the surrounding areas and decided to build his masterpieces there.

A few years later, the Bishop died. But even after his death, the construction continued and in almost 200 years, in between 1163 and 1345, the bishop’s beautiful dream came true. Many people consider that 200 years was a very short period for building such a masterpiece. The cathedral is located in the center of Paris, at Point Zero. It is said that a person who steps on its stones will for sure, one day, return.

The architectural style is Gothic. The facade is mostly made of marble and raises majestically, with two main towers, an impressive rose window. The church is beautifully decorated with statues and gargoyles and on the outside it is surrounded by marvelous flying buttresses, a distinctive mark.

Just a mere attempt at reinforcing the walls, the buttresses are reviled for the elaborate contrast to the clean face of the facade. Many people claimed that they looked like forgotten scaffolding and because of that the building had an air of unfinished work. Besides that, the buttresses passed into public favor and now are recognized for their beauty.

But The Notre Dame Cathedral is not only recognized for its amazing facade but also for the masterpieces on the inside. The soaring arched ceilings and the walls on the inside melt with the elaborate windows in the same gothic architectural style. On the northern and southern walls, two large rose windows stand. The painted panels show different biblical scenes and characters. Because of the high level of analphabetism, painting the panels with biblical scenes was a fast and clear way of reaching the public and telling them stories from the Holy Bible.

Besides these attractions, The Treasury of Notre Dame is another thing to be seen. This treasury holds sparkling chalices, plates and robes made of gold, silver, and jewels. Their design is often elaborate and extremely beautiful. Many people say that these valuable pieces were used to hide the greed for wealth and power and mix it with religious terminology. And, as history says, this was the reason that fueled the reformation: the contrast between a the life of luxury of the politicians and church people and the rest of the people.

It is hard to describe the feeling one has while visiting this amazing cathedral. Words like: admiration, beauty, glory are some that can be used to describe it. The towering, ceilings make you feel small and insignificant while admiring this beautiful piece. Only you can decide, if you go there.