Nevertheless, the cathedral was not completed until the 14th century, after various modifications and the intervention of different architects.īut time, and above all, historic events, affected and deteriorated Notre Dame, making diverse restorations necessary. So there was no economic problems involved in completing the works. Its first construction coincided with the choice of Paris as capital of France. Notre Dame was built in a period of great prosperity in Paris. This one lasted until 1163, the year in which Bishop Maurice de Sully decided to build the biggest church in Christianity. An early Christian church would be built later in honour of Saint Etienne, and over this a Romanesque church.
Later, the Romans built a temple in honour of Jupiter. The Celtic tribe of the Parisii was the first to inhabit the current Ille de la Cité and consecrated the spot on which Notre Dame stands for their spiritual and ritual affairs.
Of course, it was not the same religion that the cathedral represents. Religion had a presence here long before Notre Dame was built. It is the zero point from which all the distances in France are measured. Situated right in the heart of the geographic and historical centre of the capital, its façade faces west and looks out over the Place Notre Dame, where the precise centre of Paris is, marked by a bronze star, which is also the centre of France.
Although it is not the biggest cathedral in the country it is one of the best representatives of European Gothic art. Thanks to Victor Hugo’s “Hunchback of Notre Dame”, this cathedral has become one of the symbols of Paris and of all France. You cannot imagine it without the mythical Quasimodo hanging from its gargoyles or ringing the bells. The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is more than just a church, it is the authentic heart of Paris.
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