notre_dame de paris Photo Gallery by Chuck Kuhn at pbase.com

notre_dame de paris

"Each face, each stone of this venerable monument is not only a page of the history of the country, but also of the history of knowledge and art.... Time is the architect, the people are the builder." ?Victor Hugo,

Notre-Dame de Paris Even if you do not know who the hell Victor Hugo is, you would have heard the tale about the Hunchback in Notre Dame? Well, that tale is not just fluff written by Disney, it was a well-intentioned yarn written by Hugo during the 19th century to raise awareness and romanticise about the Cathedral which had fallen into a state of disrepair. At this time, many of the cathedral's treasures had been pillaged, her beautiful stained glass broken and her walls still covered with poo stains.. Well, Hugo's tale worked and repairs started. Of course, up till this day, there are poor sods who believe that the electronic bells are rung by a weight-challenged hunchback..

Notre Dame de Paris, Western Façade.
The construction of this Gothic cathedral, undertaken at the initiative of Maurice de Sully, began in 1163. The major work was completed by the 12th century. Changes were made the following century, according to the architectural canons of the radiating Gothic style then in fashion. About 1250, Jean de Chelles built the north arm and began work on the south arm, which was completed by Jean de Montreuil.

From the middle of the 13th century to the beginning of the 14th century, chapels were constructed between the buttresses of the nave. Those next to the chevet were built by Pierre de Montreuil. The Gothic cathedral then underwent considerable changes as new elements were added in the 18th century and others destroyed during the French Revolution. Restoration, which gave the cathedral its current aspect, was completed in 1864. Under the command of Jean-Baptiste Lassus and especially Viollet-le-Duc, the church's 12th century architecture was restored as was the sculpture, furnishings and stained glass windows. Each of these elements today contributes to the fame of Notre-Dame de Paris.

ParisLouveNDame-30-copy-2bwcr.jpg	ParisLouveNDame-28-copy.jpg	ParisLouveNDame-31-copy-2.jpg	ParisLouveNDame-31-copy.jpg
ParisLouveNDame-33-copy-3.jpg	ParisLouveNDame-33-copy-2.jpg	IMG_8072 copy.jpg	IMG_7894 copy.jpg
IMG_7891 copy.jpg	IMG_7889 copy.jpg	IMG_7888 copy.jpg	IMG_7878 copy.jpg
IMG_7876 copy.jpg	IMG_7864 copypaint.jpg	IMG_7864 copybw.jpg	IMG_7864 copy.jpg
IMG_7862 copy.jpg	IMG_7849 copya.jpg	IMG_7849 copy.jpg	IMG_7828 copy.jpg
IMG_7817 copy.jpg	IMG_7817 copybw800.jpg	IMG_7812.JPG	IMG_7812 copy 3s.jpg
IMG_7812 copy 3.jpg	IMG_8072.JPG	IMG_8032.JPG	IMG_8031.JPG
IMG_8033.JPG	IMG_8035.JPG	IMG_8041.JPG	IMG_8026.JPG
IMG_8028.JPG	IMG_8029.JPG	IMG_8030.JPG	IMG_8034.JPG
IMG_8036.JPG	IMG_8037.JPG	IMG_8040.JPG	IMG_8042.JPG
IMG_8053.JPG	IMG_8060.JPG	IMG_8070.JPG	IMG_8071.JPG
IMG_8073.JPG	IMG_8074.JPG	IMG_8083.JPG	IMG_8104.JPG

Jean-Marie Choisel		16-Dec-2012 05:46
Gorgeous gallery of Paris. Congratulations. ~BV~

click on thumbnails for full image