Notre Dame de Paris
Notre Dame De Paris, Ill De la Cite (1163-1345) The building that has taken my interest is Notre Dame De Paris, which literally meaner "Our Lady of Paris" in French. When one thinks of Gothic architecture, majority will think of Notre Dame as it is one the most significant French catholic cathedral that is distinctively Gothic. Because Notre Dame has seen many reconstruction in its days, its early construction in the period sass is characterized as Early Gothic and adopt similar pointed arch that transcends from late Romanesque.
Notre Dame's early ethic style then slowly evolved in 13th century when High Gothic began to achieve further light, tall and yet majestic. Clerestory windows had changed from one window holed in a wall, into two windows united by elaborate window tracery and colorful rose window. 1 The architect Bishop Maurice De Sully sees to the construction in 1163 until his passing in 1196. It took 5 other successors, Bishop Dudes-De-Sully and others to complete Notre Dame in its glorious state. Because of this, it has slight stylistic variations and it is not perfectly symmetrical.
Between 1210 and 1220, four architects oversaw the construction level with the rose window and the great halls beneath the towers. The towers were completed in 1245 but overall construction only finished around 1345. 2 Notre Dame was under many alterations at the end of 17th century as many tombs and stained glass windows were destroyed. By the end of 18th century, many of cathedral's treasure were either stolen or destroyed from the war. However, the cathedral's great bells were still preserved and was used as a warehouse to store food.
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Victor's Hugo novel, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" in 1831 has drawn a huge attention to the dilapidated state of the cathedral and probably has instigated the restoration project in 1845. Notre Dame too was first of its kind to utilize the flying buttress in which to support the thin exterior walls. It is built around the choir and nave to withstand the stress fracture that begins to happen as the thin wall pushes outward. Other architectural advancement that precedes here is the ribbed vaults that can be found above the double aisle surrounding the choir.
Other features that embody the Gothic style are the rose windows that brings in magnificent natural lighting to the interior. South rose window of Notre Dame De Paris Gargoyle statue on top of Notre Dame Not to forget, the guardians of grand cathedrals, the gargoyles; considered a statue that is ingeniously crafted to serve as column support or water spouts. More over there are many diverse characteristics that can help us to identify a Gothic structure such as gee archways, ornately crafted spires and lace like tracery, serve to hide the bulk of the load bearing 3.
Since all works of religious art goes beyond the artistic expression, these Gothic features accentuates the lightness and grandeur of spiritual space. Most are focused 'upwards', perhaps in reference of Heaven or presence of higher heavenly being. One can conclude these achievements have been a turning point for culture achievements in the Middle Ages. "Gothic architecture had a magnificent opportunity of development in the construction of the great cathedrals, which, in France, were all built at the end of the twelfth and beginning of the thirteenth centuries...
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