Notre-Dame de Paris

This article is about the French cathedral. For other uses, seeNotre-Dame de Paris (disambiguation).

Notre-Dame de Paris
South façade and the nave of Notre-Dame in 2017, two years before thefire
48.8530°N 2.3498°E/48.8530; 2.3498
Location	Parvis Notre-Dame – Place Jean-Paul-II,Paris
Country	France
Denomination	Catholic Church
Sui iurischurch	Latin Church
Website	www.notredamedeparis.fr
History
Former name(s)	Replaced the Cathedral of Etienne
Status	Cathedral,minor basilica
Founded	24 March 1163 to 25 April 1163 (laying of the cornerstone)
Founder(s)	Maurice de Sully
Consecrated	19 May 1182 (high altar)
Relicsheld	Crown of Thorns, a nail from the Cross, and a sliver of the Cross
Architecture
Functional status	Closed/Under renovation after the 2019 fire
Architectural type	Gothic
Style	French Gothic
Years built	1163–1345
Groundbreaking	1163(1163)
Completed	1345
Specifications
Length	128 m (420 ft)
Width	48 m (157 ft)
Naveheight	35 metres (115 ft)
Number oftowers	2
Tower height	69 m (226 ft)
Number ofspires	1 (the third, completed 16 December 2023)
Spire height	96 m (315 ft)
Materials	Limestone
Bells	10(bronze)
Administration
Archdiocese	Paris
Clergy
Archbishop	Laurent Ulrich
Rector	Olivier Ribadeau Dumas
Laity
Director of music	Sylvain Dieudonné
Organist(s)	Olivier Latry(since 1985); Vincent Dubois(since 2016); Thierry Escaich(since 2024); Thibault Fajoles(assistant organist, since 2024)
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Criteria	I, II, IV
Designated	1991
Part of	Paris, Banks of the Seine
Reference no.	600
Monument historique
Official name	Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris
Type	Cathédrale
Designated	1862
Reference no.	PA00086250

Notre-Dame de Paris(French:[nɔtʁ(ə)damdəpaʁi];meaning "Our Lady of Paris"), referred to simply asNotre-Dame,is amedievalCatholiccathedralon theÎle de la Cité(an island in the River Seine), in the4th arrondissement of Paris,France. The cathedral, dedicated to theVirgin Mary,is considered one of the finest examples ofFrench Gothic architecture.Several attributes set it apart from the earlierRomanesque style,particularly its pioneering use of therib vaultandflying buttress,its enormous and colourfulrose windows,and thenaturalismand abundance of itssculpturaldecoration.Notre-Dame also stands out for its three pipeorgans(one historic) and its immensechurch bells.

Built duringthe medieval era,construction of the cathedral began in 1163 under BishopMaurice de Sullyand was largely completed by 1260, though it was modified in succeeding centuries. In the 1790s, during theFrench Revolution,Notre-Dame suffered extensivedesecration;much of its religious imagery was damaged or destroyed. In the 19th century, thecoronation of Napoleonand the funerals of many of theFrench Republic's presidentstook place at the cathedral. The 1831 publication ofVictor Hugo's novelNotre-Dame de Paris(in English:The Hunchback of Notre-Dame) inspired interest which led to restoration between 1844 and 1864, supervised byEugène Viollet-le-Duc.On 26 August 1944, theLiberation of Parisfrom German occupation was celebrated in Notre-Dame with the singing of theMagnificat.Beginning in 1963, the cathedral's façade was cleaned of soot and grime. Another cleaning and restoration project was carried out between 1991 and 2000.Afire in April 2019caused serious damage and forced the cathedral to close for five years; it is planned to reopen on 8 December 2024.

The cathedral is a widely recognized symbol of the city ofParisand theFrench nation.In 1805, it was awarded honorary status as aminor basilica.As the cathedral of thearchdiocese of Paris,Notre-Dame contains thecathedraof thearchbishop of Paris(currentlyLaurent Ulrich). In the early 21st century, approximately 12 million people visited Notre-Dame annually, making it the most visited monument in Paris.The cathedral is renowned for itsLentsermons, a tradition founded in the 1830s by theDominicanJean-Baptiste Henri Lacordaire.These sermons have increasingly been given by leading public figures or government-employed academics.

Over time, the cathedral has gradually been stripped of many decorations and artworks. However, the cathedral still contains Gothic,Baroque,and 19th-century sculptures, 17th- and early 18th-century altarpieces, and some of the most important relics inChristendom– including theCrown of Thorns,and a sliver and nail from theTrue Cross.

Key dates

• 4th century–Cathedral of Saint Étienne,dedicated to Saint Stephen, built just west of present cathedral.
• 1163– BishopMaurice de Sullybegins construction of new cathedral.
• 1182 or 1185–Choircompleted,clerestorywith two levels: upper level of upright windows with pointed arches, still withouttracery,lower level of smallrose windows.
• c. 1200– Construction ofnave,withflying buttresses,completed.
• c. 1210–1220– Construction of towers begins.
• c. 1210–1220– Two new traverses join towers with nave. West rose window complete in 1220.
• After 1220– New flying buttresses added to choir walls, remodeling of the clerestories: pointed arched windows are enlarged downward, replacing thetriforia,and get tracery.
• 1235–1245– Chapels constructed between buttresses of nave and choir.
• 1250–1260– Northtranseptlengthened byJean de Chellesto provide more light. North rose window constructed.
• 1270– South transept and rose window completed byPierre de Montreuil.
• 1699– Beginning of major redecoration of interior inLouis XIV stylebyHardouin MansartandRobert de Cotte.
• 1725–1727– South rose window, poorly built, is reconstructed. Later entirely rebuilt in 1854.
• 1790– In theFrench Revolutionthe RevolutionaryParis Communeremoves all bronze, lead, and precious metals from the cathedral to be melted down.
• 1793– The cathedral is converted into aTemple of Reasonand thenTemple of the Supreme Being.
• 1801–1802– With theConcordat of 1801,Napoleonrestores the use of the cathedral (though not ownership) to the Catholic Church.
• 1804– On 2 December, Napoleon crowns himselfEmperorat Notre-Dame.
• 1805– The cathedral is conceded the honor ofminor basilicabyPope Pius VII,making it the first minor basilica outside of Italy.
• 1844–1864– Major restoration byJean-Baptiste LassusandEugène Viollet-le-Ducwith additions in the spirit of the original Gothic style.
• 1871– In final days of theParis Commune,Communardsattempt unsuccessfully to burn the cathedral.
• 1944– On 26 August, GeneralCharles de Gaullecelebrates theLiberation of Pariswith a special Mass at Notre-Dame.
• 1949– On 26 April, the Archbishop of Paris,Emmanuel Célestin Suhard,crowns the venerated image ofOur Lady of Guadalupein the name ofPope Pius XII.
• 1963– Culture MinisterAndré Malrauxorders the cleaning of the cathedral façade of centuries of grime and soot.
• 2019– On 15 April,a firedestroys a large part of the roof and theflèche.
• 2021– Reconstruction begins two years after the fire that destroyed a large part of the roof and the flèche.
• 2024– Expected reopening of the Cathedral to occur on 8 December.

History

Outline of the primitive Cathedral of Notre-Dame in 1150, on the spot of thenave,thetranseptand thechoirof the current building. TheCathedral of Saint Étiennewas located to the west, at the level of today'sparvis.

Construction sequence from 12th century to present-day, created byStephen Murrayand Myles Zhang

It is believed that before the arrival ofChristianity in France,aGallo-Romantemple dedicated toJupiterstood on the site of Notre-Dame. Evidence for this includes thePillar of the Boatmen,discovered beneath the cathedral in 1710. In the 4th or 5th century, a large early Christian church, theCathedral of Saint Étienne,was built on the site, close to the royal palace.The entrance was situated about 40 metres (130 ft) west of the present west front of Notre-Dame, and the apse was located about where the west façade is today. It was roughly half the size of the later Notre-Dame, 70 metres (230 ft) long—and separated intonaveand fouraislesby marble columns, then decorated withmosaics.

The last church before the cathedral of Notre-Dame was aRomanesqueremodeling of Saint-Étienne that, although enlarged and remodeled, was found to be unfit for the growing population of Paris.Abaptistery,theChurch of Saint-John-le-Rond,built about 452, was located on the north side of the west front of Notre-Dame until the work ofJacques-Germain Soufflotin the 18th century.

In 1160, theBishop of Paris,Maurice de Sully,decided to build a new and much larger church. He summarily demolished the earlier cathedral and recycled its materials.Sully decided that the new church should be built in theGothic style,which had been inaugurated at the royal abbey of Saint Denis in the late 1130s.

Construction

The chroniclerJean de Saint-Victorrecorded in theMemorial Historiarumthat the construction of Notre-Dame began between 24 March and 25 April 1163 with the laying of thecornerstonein the presence ofKing Louis VIIandPope Alexander III.Four phases of construction took place under bishops Maurice de Sully andEudes de Sully(not related to Maurice), according to masters whose names have been lost. Analysis of vault stones that fell in the 2019 fire shows that they were quarried inVexin,a county northwest of Paris, and presumably brought up the Seine by ferry.

Cross-section of the double supporting arches and buttresses of thenave,drawn byEugène Viollet-le-Ducas they would have appeared from 1220 to 1230.

The first phase began with the construction of thechoirand its twoambulatories.According toRobert of Torigni,the choir was completed in 1177 and thehigh altarconsecrated on 19 May 1182 byCardinalHenri de Château-Marçay,thePapal legatein Paris, and Maurice de Sully.The second phase, from 1182 to 1190, concerned the construction of the four sections of the nave behind the choir and its aisles to the height of theclerestories.It began after the completion of the choir but ended before the final allotted section of the nave was finished. Beginning in 1190, the bases of the façade were put in place, and the first traverses were completed.Heraclius of Caesareacalled for theThird Crusadein 1185 from the still-incomplete cathedral.

Louis IXdeposited therelics of the passion of Christ,which included theCrown of thorns,a nail from the Cross and a sliver of the Cross, which he had purchased at great expense from theLatin EmperorBaldwin II,in the cathedral during the construction of theSainte-Chapelle.Anunder-shirt,believed to have belonged to Louis, was added to the collection of relics at some time after his death.

Transeptswere added at the choir, where the altar was located, in order to bring more light into the centre of the church. The use of simpler four-part rather than six-part rib vaults meant that the roofs were stronger and could be higher. After Bishop Maurice de Sully's death in 1196, his successor,Eudes de Sullyoversaw the completion of the transepts, and continued work on thenave,which was nearing completion at the time of his death in 1208. By this time, the western façade was already largely built, though it was not completed until around the mid-1240s. Between 1225 and 1250 the upper gallery of the nave was constructed, along with the two towers on the west façade.

Arrows show forces in vault and current flying buttresses (detailed description).

Another significant change came in the mid-13th century, when the transepts were remodelled in the latestRayonnantstyle; in the late 1240sJean de Chellesadded a gabled portal to the north transept topped by a spectacular rose window. Shortly afterward (from 1258)Pierre de Montreuilexecuted a similar scheme on the southern transept. Both these transept portals were richly embellished with sculpture; the south portal depicts scenes from the lives ofSaint Stephenand of various local saints, while the north portal featured the infancy of Christ and the story of Theophilus in thetympanum,with a highly influential statue of the Virgin and Child in thetrumeau.Master buildersPierre de Chelles,Jean Ravy,Jean le Bouteiller, andRaymond du Templesucceeded de Chelles and de Montreuil and then each other in the construction of the cathedral. Ravy completed de Chelles'srood screenand chevet chapels, then began the 15-metre (49 ft) flying buttresses of the choir. Jean le Bouteiller, Ravy's nephew, succeeded him in 1344 and was himself replaced on his death in 1363 by his deputy, Raymond du Temple.

Philip the Fairopened the firstEstates Generalin the cathedral in 1302.

An important innovation in the 13th century was the introduction of theflying buttress.Before the buttresses, all of the weight of the roof pressed outward and down to the walls, and the abutments supporting them. With the flying buttress, the weight was carried by the ribs of the vault entirely outside the structure to a series of counter-supports, which were topped with stone pinnacles which gave them greater weight. The buttresses meant that the walls could be higher and thinner, and could have larger windows. The date of the first buttresses is not known with precision beyond an installation date in the 13th century. Art historianAndrew Tallon,however, has argued, based on detailed laser scans of the entire structure, that the buttresses were part of the original design. According to Tallon, the scans indicate that "the upper part of the building has not moved one smidgen in 800 years,"whereas if they were added later some movement from prior to their addition would be expected. Tallon thus concluded that flying buttresses were present from the outset.The first buttresses were replaced by larger and stronger ones in the 14th century; these had a reach of fifteen metres (50 ft) between the walls and counter-supports.

John of Jandunrecognized the cathedral as one of Paris's three most important buildings [prominent structures] in his 1323Treatise on the Praises of Paris:

That most glorious church of the most glorious Virgin Mary, mother of God, deservedly shines out, like the sun among stars. And although some speakers, by their own free judgment, because [they are] able to see only a few things easily, may say that some other is more beautiful, I believe, however, respectfully, that, if they attend more diligently to the whole and the parts, they will quickly retract this opinion. Where indeed, I ask, would they find two towers of such magnificence and perfection, so high, so large, so strong, clothed round about with such multiple varieties of ornaments? Where, I ask, would they find such a multipartite arrangement of so many lateral vaults, above and below? Where, I ask, would they find such light-filled amenities as the many surrounding chapels? Furthermore, let them tell me in what church I may see such a large cross, of which one arm separates the choir from the nave. Finally, I would willingly learn where [there are] two such circles, situated opposite each other in a straight line, which on account of their appearance are given the name of the fourth vowel [O]; among which smaller orbs and circles, with wondrous artifice, so that some arranged circularly, others angularly, surround windows ruddy with precious colours and beautiful with the most subtle figures of the pictures. In fact, I believe that this church offers the carefully discerning such cause for admiration that its inspection can scarcely sate the soul.

— Jean de Jandun,Tractatus de laudibus Parisius

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  Plan of the cathedral made byEugène Viollet-le-Ducin the 19th century. Portals and nave to the left, a choir in the center, andapseandambulatoryto the right. The annex to the south is thesacristy.
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  Early six-partrib vaultsof the nave. The ribs transferred the thrust of the weight of the roof downward and outwards to the pillars and the supporting buttresses.
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  The massive buttresses which counter the outward thrust from the rib vaults of the nave. The weight of the building-shapedpinnacleshelps keep theline of thrustsafely within the buttresses.
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  Laterflying buttressesof the apse of Notre-Dame (14th century) reached 15 metres (49 ft) from the wall to the counter-supports.

15th–18th century

On 16 December 1431, the boy-kingHenry VI of Englandwas crowned king of France in Notre-Dame, aged ten, the traditional coronation church ofReims Cathedralbeing under French control.

During theRenaissance,the Gothic style fell out of style, and the internal pillars and walls of Notre-Dame were covered with tapestries.

In 1548, riotingHuguenotsdamaged some of the statues of Notre-Dame, considering themidolatrous.

The fountainin Notre-Dame'sparviswas added in 1625 to provide nearby Parisians with running water.

Since 1449, the Parisian goldsmith guild had made regular donations to the cathedral chapter. In 1630, the guild began donating a large altarpiece every year on the first of May. These works came to be known as thegrands mays.The subject matter was restricted to episodes from theActs of the Apostles.The prestigious commission was awarded to the most prominent painters and, after 1648, members of theAcadémie Royale.

Seventy-six paintings had been donated by 1708, when the custom was discontinued for financial reasons. Those works were confiscated in 1793 and the majority were subsequently dispersed among regional museums in France. Those that remained in the cathedral were removed or relocated within the building by the 19th-century restorers.

Today, thirteen of thegrands mayshang in Notre-Dame although these paintings suffered water damage during the fire of 2019 and were removed for conservation.

An altarpiece depicting theVisitation,painted byJean Jouvenetin 1707, was also located in the cathedral.

ThecanonAntoine de La Porte commissioned for Louis XIV six paintings depicting the life of theVirgin Maryfor the choir. At this same time,Charles de La Fossepainted hisAdoration of the Magi,now in theLouvre.Louis Antoine de Noailles,archbishop of Paris,extensively modified the roof of Notre-Dame in 1726, renovating its framing and removing thegargoyleswith lead gutters. Noailles also strengthened the buttresses, galleries, terraces, and vaults.In 1756, the cathedral's canons decided that its interior was too dark. The medieval stained glass windows, except the rosettes, were removed and replaced with plain, white glass panes.Lastly,Jacques-Germain Soufflotwas tasked with the modification of the portals at the front of the cathedral to allow processions to enter more easily.

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  Henry VI of England's coronation in Notre-Dame asKing of France,aged ten, during theHundred Years' War.His accession to the throne was in accordance with theTreaty of Troyesof 1420.
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  La Descente du Saint-Esprit;illustration depicting Notre-Dame from theHours of Étienne ChevalierbyJean Fouquet,c. 1450
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  ATe Deumin the choir of Notre-Dame in 1669, during the reign ofLouis XIV.The choir was redesigned to make room for more lavish ceremonies.
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  The western façade and parvis of Notre-Dame in 1699. On the left is the oldbaptistery.The fountain is in the square.

French Revolution and Napoleon

After theFrench Revolutionin 1789, Notre-Dame and the rest of the church's property in France was seized and made public property.The cathedral was rededicated in 1793 to theCult of Reason,and then to theCult of the Supreme Beingin 1794.During this time, many of the treasures of the cathedral were either destroyed or plundered. The twenty-eight statues of biblical kings located at the west façade, mistaken for statues of French kings, were beheaded.Many of the heads were found during a 1977 excavation nearby, and are on display at theMusée de Cluny.For a time theGoddess of Libertyreplaced theVirgin Maryon several altars.The cathedral's great bells escaped being melted down. All of the other large statues on the façade, with the exception of the statue of the Virgin Mary on the portal of the cloister, were destroyed.The cathedral came to be used as a warehouse for the storage of food and other non-religious purposes.

With theConcordat of 1801,Napoleon Bonaparterestored Notre-Dame to the Catholic Church, though this was only finalized on 18 April 1802. Napoleon also named Paris's new bishop,Jean-Baptiste de Belloy,who restored the cathedral's interior.Charles PercierandPierre-François-Léonard Fontainemade quasi-Gothic modifications to Notre-Dame for thecoronation of NapoleonasEmperor of the Frenchwithin the cathedral. The building's exterior waswhitewashedand the interior decorated inNeoclassicalstyle, then in vogue.

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  Cult of Reasonis celebrated at Notre-Dame during theFrench Revolution(1793)
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  Arrival ofNapoleonat the east end of Notre-Dame for hiscoronationasEmperor of the Frenchon 2 December 1804
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  Thecoronation of Napoleon,on 2 December 1804 at Notre-Dame, as portrayed in the 1807 paintingThe Coronation of NapoleonbyJacques-Louis David

19th-century restoration

In the decades after theNapoleonic Wars,Notre-Dame fell into such a state of disrepair that Paris officials considered its demolition.Victor Hugo,who admired the cathedral, wrote the novelNotre-Dame de Paris(published in English asThe Hunchback of Notre-Dame) in 1831 to save Notre-Dame. The book was an enormous success, raising awareness of the cathedral's decaying state.The same year as Hugo's novel was published, anti-Legitimistsplundered Notre-Dame'ssacristy.In 1844 KingLouis Philippeordered that the church be restored.

The architect who had hitherto been in charge of Notre-Dame's maintenance,Étienne-Hippolyte Godde,was dismissed. In his stead,Jean-Baptiste LassusandEugène Viollet-le-Duc,who had distinguished themselves with the restoration of the nearbySainte-Chapelle,were appointed in 1844. The next year, Viollet-le-Duc submitted a budget of 3,888,500francs,which was reduced to 2,650,000 francs, for the restoration of Notre-Dame and the construction of a new sacristy building. This budget was exhausted in 1850, and work stopped as Viollet-le-Duc made proposals for more money. In totality, the restoration cost over 12 million francs. Supervising a large team of sculptors, glass makers and other craftsmen, and working from drawings or engravings, Viollet-le-Duc remade or added decorations if he felt they were in the spirit of the original style. One of the latter items was a taller and more ornateflèche,to replace the original 13th-century flèche, which had been removed in 1786.The decoration of the restoration included a bronze roof statue ofSaint Thomasthat resembles Viollet-le-Duc, as well as the sculpture of mythical creatures on theGalerie des Chimères.

The construction of the sacristy was especially financially costly. To secure a firm foundation, it was necessary for Viollet-le-Duc's labourers to dig nine metres (thirty feet). Master glassworkers meticulously copied styles of the 13th century, as written about by art historians Antoine Lusson andAdolphe Napoléon Didron.

During theParis Communeof March through May 1871, the cathedral and other churches were closed, and some two hundred priests and the Archbishop of Paris were taken as hostages. In May, during theSemaine sanglanteof "Bloody Week", as the army recaptured the city, the Communards targeted the cathedral, along with theTuileries Palaceand other landmarks, for destruction; the Communards piled the furniture together in order to burn the cathedral. The arson was halted when the Communard government realised that the fire would also destroy the neighbouringHôtel-Dieuhospital, filled with hundreds of patients.

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  The western façade of Notre-Dame in 1841, showing the building in an advanced state of disrepair before the major restoration byEugène Viollet-le-Duc
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  Proposed doorway decoration byJean-Baptiste-Antoine Lassusand Eugène Viollet-le-Duc; plate engraved byLéon Gaucherel
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  The southern façade of Notre-Dame at the beginning of the restoration work; photo from 1847 byHippolyte Bayard
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  Model of the flèche and "forest" of wooden roof beams made for Viollet-le-Duc (1859) (Museum of Historic Monuments, Paris)
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  The western façade of Notre-Dame in the early 1860s, towards the end of the restoration. The flèche was rebuilt and the statues of the kings were partially restored.

20th century

Façade of Notre-Dame in the 1930s

During the liberation of Paris in August 1944, the cathedral suffered some minor damage from stray bullets. Some of the medieval glass was damaged, and was replaced by glass with modern abstract designs. On 26 August, a special Mass was held in the cathedral to celebrate the liberation of Paris from the Germans; it was attended by GeneralCharles De Gaulleand GeneralPhilippe Leclerc.

In 1963, on the initiative of culture ministerAndré Malrauxand to mark the 800th anniversary of the cathedral, the façade was cleaned of the centuries of soot and grime, restoring it to its original off-white colour.

On 19 January 1969, vandals placed a North Vietnamese flag at the top the flèche, and sabotaged the stairway leading to it. The flag was cut from the flèche by Paris Fire Brigade SergeantRaymond Bellein a daring helicopter mission, the first of its kind in France.

TheRequiem MassofCharles de Gaullewas held in Notre-Dame on 12 November 1970.The next year, on 26 June 1971,Philippe Petitwalked across a tight-rope strung between Notre-Dame's two bell towers entertaining spectators.

After theMagnificatof 30 May 1980,Pope John Paul IIcelebrated Mass on theparvisof the cathedral.

The Requiem Mass ofFrançois Mitterrandwas held at the cathedral, as with past French heads of state, on 11 January 1996.

The stone masonry of the cathedral's exterior had deteriorated in the 19th and 20th century due to increasedair pollutionin Paris, which accelerated erosion of decorations and discoloured the stone. By the late 1980s, several gargoyles and turrets had also fallen or become too loose to remain safely in place.A decade-long renovation programme began in 1991 and replaced much of the exterior, with care given to retain the authentic architectural elements of the cathedral, including rigorous inspection of new limestone blocks.A discreet system of electrical wires, not visible from below, was also installed on the roof to deter pigeons.The cathedral'spipe organwas upgraded with a computerized system to control the mechanical connections to thepipes.The west face was cleaned and restored in time formillennium celebrationsin December 1999.

21st century

Notre-Dame in May 2012. From top to bottom,navewalls are pierced byclerestorywindows, arches totriforium,and arches toside aisles.

The Requiem Mass of CardinalJean-Marie Lustiger,former archbishop of Paris and Jewish convert to Catholicism, was held in Notre-Dame on 10 August 2007.

The set of four 19th-century bells at the top of the northern towers at Notre-Dame were melted down and recast into new bronze bells in 2013, to celebrate the building's 850th anniversary. They were designed to recreate the sound of the cathedral's original bells from the 17th century.Despite the 1990s renovation, the cathedral had continued to show signs of deterioration that prompted the national government to propose a new renovation program in the late 2010s.The entire renovation was estimated to cost €100 million, which the archbishop of Paris planned to raise through funds from the national government and private donations.A €6 million renovation of the cathedral's flèche began in late 2018 and continued into the following year, requiring the temporary removal of copper statues on the roof and other decorative elements days before the April 2019 fire.

Notre-Dame began a year-long celebration of the 850th anniversary of the laying of the first building block for the cathedral on 12 December 2012.During that anniversary year, on 21 May 2013,Dominique Venner,ahistorianand white nationalist, placed a letter on thechurchaltarand shot himself, dying instantly. Around 1,500 visitors were evacuated from the cathedral.

French police arrested two people on 8 September 2016after a car containing seven gasoline canisters was found near Notre-Dame.

On 10 February 2017, French police arrested four persons inMontpellieralready known by authorities to have ties to radical Islamist organizations on charges of plotting to travel to Paris and attack the cathedral.Later that year, on 6 June, visitors were shut inside Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris aftera man with a hammer attacked a police officer outside.

2019 fire

Main article:Notre-Dame fire

On 15 April 2019 the cathedral caught fire, destroying the flèche and the "forest" of oak roof beams supporting the lead roof.It was speculated that the fire was linked to ongoing renovation work.

According to later studies, the fire broke out in the attic of the cathedral at 18:18. Thesmoke detectorsimmediately signaled the fire to a cathedral employee, who did not summon thefire brigadebut instead sent a cathedral guard to investigate. Instead of going to the correct attic, the guard was sent to the wrong location, to the attic of the adjoining sacristy, and reported there was no fire. The guard telephoned his supervisor, who did not immediately answer. About fifteen minutes later the error was discovered, whereupon the guard's supervisor told him to go to the correct location. The fire brigade was still not notified. By the time the guard had climbed the three hundred steps to the cathedral attic the fire was well advanced.The alarm system was not designed to automatically notify the fire brigade, which was finally summoned at 18:51 after the guard had returned from the attic and reported a now-raging fire, and more than half an hour after the fire alarm had begun sounding.

Firefighters arrived in less than ten minutes.

The cathedral's flèche collapsed at 19:50, bringing down some 750 tonnes of stone and lead. The firefighters inside were ordered back down. By this time the fire had spread to the north tower, where the eight bells were located. The firefighters concentrated their efforts in the tower. They feared that, if the bells fell, they could wreck the tower, and endanger the structure of the other tower and the whole cathedral. They had to ascend a stairway threatened by fire, and to contend with low water pressure for their hoses. As other firefighters watered the stairway and the roof, a team of twenty climbed the narrow stairway of the south tower, crossed to the north tower, lowered hoses to be connected to fire engines outside the cathedral, and sprayed water on the fire beneath the bells. By 21:45, they brought the fire under control.

The main structure was intact; firefighters saved the façade, towers, walls, buttresses, and stained glass windows. The Great Organ, which has over 8,000pipesand was built by François Thierry in the 18th century was also saved but sustained water damage.Because of the ongoing renovation, the copper statues on the flèche had been removed before the fire.The stone vaulting that forms the ceiling of the cathedral had several holes but was otherwise intact.

Since 1905, France's cathedrals (including Notre-Dame) have been owned by the state, which is self-insured. Some costs might be recovered through insurance coverage if the fire is found to have been caused bycontractorsworking on the site.The French insurerAXAprovided insurance coverage for two of the contracting firms working on Notre-Dame's restoration before the blaze. AXA also provided insurance coverage for some of the relics and artworks in the cathedral.

PresidentEmmanuel Macronsaid approximately 500 firefighters helped to battle the fire. One firefighter was seriously injured and two police officers were hurt during the blaze.

An ornate tapestry woven in the early 1800s was on public display, for only the third time in recent decades. The decoration was rescued from Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral after the fire.

For the first time in more than 200 years, the Christmas Mass was not hosted at the cathedral on 25 December 2019, due to the ongoing restoration work after the fire.

Eight members of the cathedral choir, a number limited byCOVID-19 pandemicrestrictions, performed inside the building in December 2020 for the first time since the fire more than a year and a half prior. A video of the event aired later, just before midnight on 24 December 2020.

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  The 2019 fire destroyed Notre-Dame's wooden roof and flèche but left the outer structure largely intact.
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  The flèche aflame during the 2019 fire, before its collapse
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  Animation showing the south façade before and after the fire; scaffolding had been erected as part of renovations underway when the fire started
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  The area directly under thecrossingand two other cells of vaulting collapsed
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  In red, the destroyed parts

Stabilization of the building

The roof reduced to piles of char at the top of the mostly intact vaults

Immediately after the fire, President Macron promised that Notre-Dame would be restored, and called for the work to be completed within five years.An international architectural competition was also announced to redesign the flèche and roof.The hasty flèche competition announcement drew immediate criticism in the international press from heritage academics and professionals who faulted the French government for being too narrowly focused on quickly building a new flèche, and neglecting to frame its response more holistically as an inclusive social process encompassing the whole building and its long-term users.A new law was immediately drafted to make Notre-Dame exempt fromexisting heritage laws and procedures,which prompted an open letter to President Macron signed by over 1,170 heritage experts urging respect for existing regulations.The law, which passed on 11 May 2019, was hotly debated in theFrench National Assembly,with opponents accusing Macron's administration of using Notre-Dame self-servingly for political grandstanding, and defenders arguing the need for expediency and tax breaks to encourage philanthropic giving.

President Macron suggested he was open to a "contemporary architectural gesture". Even before the competition rules were announced, architects around the world offered suggestions: the proposals included a 100-metre (330 ft) flèche made of carbon fibre, covered with gold leaf; a roof built of stained glass; a greenhouse; a garden with trees, open to the sky; and a column of light pointed upwards. A poll published in the French newspaperLe Figaroon 8 May 2019 showed that 55% of French respondents wanted a flèche identical to the original. French culture ministerFranck Riesterpromised that the restoration "will not be hasty."On 29 July 2019, the French National Assembly enacted a law requiring that the restoration must "preserve the historic, artistic and architectural interest of the monument."

In October 2019, the French government announced that the first stage of reconstruction, the stabilising of the structure against collapse, would take until the end of 2020. In December 2019, Monseigneur Patrick Chauvet, the rector of the cathedral, said there was still a 50% chance that Notre-Dame cannot be saved due to the risk of the remaining scaffolding falling onto the three damaged vaults.Reconstruction could not begin before early 2021. President Macron announced that he hoped the reconstructed Cathedral could be finished by spring 2024, in time for the opening of the2024 Summer Olympics.

The first task of the restoration was the removal of 250–300 tonnes of melted metal tubes, the remains of the scaffolding, which remained on the top after the fire and could have fallen onto the vaults and caused further structural damage. This stage began in February 2020 and continued through April 2020.A large crane, 84 metres (276 ft) high, was put in place next to the cathedral to help remove the scaffolding.Later, wooden support beams were added to stabilise the flying buttresses and other structures.

On 10 April 2020, the archbishop of Paris,Michel Aupetit,and a handful of participants, all in protective clothing to prevent exposure to lead dust, performed aGood Fridayservice inside the cathedral.Music was provided by the violinistRenaud Capuçon;the lectors were the actorsPhilippe TorretonandJudith Chemla.Chemla gave ana cappellarendition ofAve Maria.

A new phase of the restoration commenced on 8 June 2020. Two teams of workers began descending into the roof to remove the tangle of tubes of the old scaffolding melted by the fire. The workers used saws to cut up the forty thousand pieces of scaffolding, weighing altogether two hundred tons, which was carefully lifted out of the roof by an 80-metre-tall (260 ft) crane. The phase was completed in November 2020.

Heading reconstruction

In February 2021, the selection of oak trees to replace the flèche and roof timbers destroyed by the fire began. As many as a thousand mature trees will be chosen from the forests of France, each of a diameter of 50 to 90 centimetres (20 to 35 in) and a height of 8 to 14 metres (26 to 46 ft), and an age of several hundred years. Once cut, the trees must dry for 12 to 18 months. The trees will be replaced by new plantings.

Two years after the fire, a great deal of work had been completed but a news report stated that: "there is still a hole on top of the church. They're also building a replica of the church's spire". More oak trees needed to be shipped to Paris, where they would need to be dried before use; they will be essential in completing the restoration.The oaks used to make the framework are tested and selected bySylvatest.

On 18 September 2021, the public agency overseeing the Cathedral stated that the safety work was completed, the cathedral was now fully secured, and that reconstruction would begin within a few months.

Research

In 2022, a preventive dig carried out between February and April before the construction of a scaffold for reconstructing the cathedral's flèche unearthed several statues and tombs under the cathedral.One of the discoveries included a 14th-century leadsarcophagusthat was found 65 feet below where thetranseptcrosses the church's 12th-centurynave.On 14 April 2022, France's National Preventive Archaeological Research Institute (INRAP) announced that the sarcophagus was extracted from the cathedral and that scientists have already peeked into the casket using an endoscopic camera, revealing the upper part of a skeleton.Another significant discovery was an opening below the cathedral floor, likely made around 1230 when theGothiccathedral was first under construction; inside were fragments of achoir screendating from the 13th century that had been destroyed in the early 18th century.In March 2023, in another significant discovery, archaeologists uncovered thousands of metal staples in various parts of the cathedral, some dating back to the early 1160s. The archaeologists concluded that "Notre Dame is now unquestionably the first known Gothic cathedral where iron was massively used to bind stones as a proper construction material."

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  Ongoing stabilization of Notre-Dame in February 2020
• 
  Stabilization of Notre-Dame and removal of roof debris and scaffolding in February 2020
• 
  Front view of Notre-Dame in January 2023
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  Southwest corner of Notre-Dame in September 2023

Colour and controversy

The colour of the restored interior will be "a shock" to some returning visitors, according to General Jean-Louis Georgelin, the French army officer heading the restoration. "The whiteness under the dirt was quite spectacular".The stone was sprayed with a latex solution to lift off accumulated grime and soot. However, the cleaning of the church interior with latex solutions was criticized by Michael Daley of Artwatch UK, referring to the earlier cleaning of Saint Paul's Cathedral in London. He asked, "Is there any good basis for wishing to present an artificially brightened and ahistorical white interior?"Jean-Michel Guilemont of the French Ministry of culture responded, "The interior elevations will regain their original colour, since the chapels and side aisles were very dirty. Of course it is not a white colour. The stone has a blonde colour, and the architects are very attentive to obtaining a patina which respects the centuries".

Towers and the flèche

Main article:Spire of Notre-Dame de Paris

• 
  Towers on west façade (1220–1250)
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  The gallery of chimeras pictured in 1910 by Georges Redon
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  The 19th-centuryflèche
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  The roosterreliquaryat the top of the flèche. It was found lightly damaged in the rubble after the 2019 fire.
• 
  The flèche from above,in 2013
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  Statue ofThomas the Apostle,with the features of restorerEugène Viollet-le-Duc,at the base of the flèche

The two towers are 69 metres (226 ft) high. The towers were the last major element of the cathedral to be constructed. The south tower was built first, between 1220 and 1240, and the north tower between 1235 and 1250. The newer north tower is slightly larger, as can be seen when they are viewed from directly in front of the church. Thecontrefortor buttress of the north tower is also larger.The cathedral's main peal of bells is within these towers.

The south tower was accessible to visitors by a stairway, whose entrance was on the south side of the tower. The stairway has 387 steps, and has a stop at the Gothic hall at the level of the rose window, where visitors could look over the parvis and see a collection of paintings and sculpture from earlier periods of the cathedral's history.

The cathedral'sflèche(or spirelet) was located over the transept. The original flèche was constructed in the 13th century, probably between 1220 and 1230. It was battered, weakened and bent by the wind over five centuries, and finally was removed in 1786. During the 19th-century restoration, Eugène Viollet-le-Duc recreated it, making a new version of oak covered with lead. The entire flèche weighed 750 tonnes.

Following Viollet-le-Duc's plans, the flèche was surrounded by copper statues of thetwelve Apostles‍—a group of three at each point of the compass. In front of each group is a symbol representing one of the four evangelists: a winged ox for Saint Luke,a lion for Saint Mark, an eagle for Saint John and an angel for Saint Matthew. Just days prior to the fire, the statues were removed for restoration.While in place, they had faced outwards towards Paris, except one: the statue of Saint Thomas, the patron saint of architects, faced the flèche, and had the features of Viollet-le-Duc.

The rooster weathervane at the top of the flèche contained three relics: a tiny piece from theCrown of Thornsin the cathedral treasury, and relics of SaintDenisandSaint Genevieve,patron saints of Paris. They were placed there in 1935 by ArchbishopJean Verdier,to protect the congregation from lightning or other harm. The rooster with relics intact was recovered in the rubble shortly after the fire.

Iconography–the "poor people's book"

See also:List of sculptures in Notre-Dame de Paris

The Gothic cathedral was aliber pauperum,a "poor people's book", covered with sculptures vividly illustrating biblical stories, for the vast majority of parishioners who were, at the time, illiterate. To add to the effect, all of the sculpture on the façades was originally painted and gilded.

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  Illustration of theLast Judgment,
  central portal of west façade
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  The martyr SaintDenis,holding his head, over the Portal of the Virgin
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  The serpent tempts Adam and Eve; on the Portal of the Virgin
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  Archangel Michaeland Satan weighing souls during theLast Judgment(central portal, west façade)
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  Astrixon the west façade
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  Gargoyleswere the rainspouts of the cathedral
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  Chimeraon the façade
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  Allegory ofalchemy,central portal
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  Ecclesia and Synagoga,statues on each side of the west façade

Thetympanumover the central portal on the west façade, facing the square, vividly illustrates theLast Judgment,with figures of sinners being led off to hell, and good Christians taken to heaven. The sculpture of the right portal shows the coronation of theVirgin Mary,and the left portal shows the lives of saints who were important to Parisians, particularlySaint Anne,the mother of the Virgin Mary.

The exteriors of cathedrals and other Gothic churches were also decorated with sculptures ofgrotesquesor monsters. These included thegargoyle,thechimera,a mythical hybrid creature which usually had the body of a lion and the head of a goat, and theStrixor stryge, a creature resembling anowlorbat,which was said to eat human flesh. Thestrixappeared in classical Roman literature; it was described by the Roman poetOvid,who was widely read in the Middle Ages, as a large-headed bird with transfixed eyes, rapacious beak, and greyish white wings.They were part of the visual message for the illiterate worshipers, symbols of the evil and danger that threatened those who did not follow the teachings of the church.

The gargoyles, which were added in about 1240, had a more practical purpose. They were the rain spouts of the cathedral, designed to divide the torrent of water which poured from the roof after rain, and to project it outwards as far as possible from the buttresses and the walls and windows where it might erode the mortar binding the stone. To produce many thin streams rather than a torrent of water, a large number of gargoyles were used, so they were also designed to be a decorative element of the architecture. The rainwater ran from the roof into lead gutters, then down channels on the flying buttresses, then along a channel cut in the back of the gargoyle and out of the mouth away from the cathedral.

Amid all the religious figures, some of the sculptural decoration was devoted to illustrating medieval science and philosophy. The central portal of the west façade is decorated with carved figures holding circular plaques with symbols of transformation taken from alchemy. The central pillar of the central door of Notre-Dame features a statue of a woman on a throne holding asceptrein her left hand, and in her right hand, two books, one open (symbol of public knowledge), and the other closed (esoteric knowledge), along with a ladder with seven steps, symbolizing the seven steps alchemists followed in their scientific quest of trying to transform ordinary metals into gold.On each side of the west façade, there are statues ofEcclesia and Synagoga.The statues representsupersessionism,the Christian belief that Christianity has replaced Judaism.

Many of the statues, particularly the grotesques, were removed from the façade in the 17th and 18th centuries, or were destroyed during theFrench Revolution.They were replaced with figures in the Gothic style, designed byEugène Viollet-le-Duc,during the 19th-century restoration.

Stained glass – rose windows

• 
  The earliest rose window, on the west façade (about 1225)
• 
  The west rose window (about 1225)
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  North rose window (about 1250)
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  North rose window including lower 18 vertical windows

The stained glass windows of Notre-Dame, particularly the threerose windows,are among the most famous features of the cathedral. The west rose window, over the portals, was the first and smallest of the roses in Notre-Dame. It is 9.6 metres (31 ft) in diameter, and was made in about 1225, with the pieces of glass set in a thick circular stone frame. None of the original glass remains in this window; it was recreated in the 19th century.

The two transept windows are larger and contain a greater proportion of glass than the rose on the west façade, because the new system of buttresses made the nave walls thinner and stronger. The north rose was created in about 1250, and the south rose in about 1260. The south rose in the transept is particularly notable for its size and artistry. It is 12.9 metres (42 ft) in diameter; with theclaire-voiesurrounding it, a total of 19 metres (62 ft). It was given to the cathedral by KingLouis IX of France,known as Saint Louis.

The south rose has 94 medallions, arranged in four circles, depicting scenes from the life of Christ and those who witnessed his time on earth. The inner circle has twelve medallions showing the twelve apostles. (During later restorations, some of these original medallions were moved to circles farther out). The next two circles depict celebrated martyrs and virgins. The fourth circle shows twenty angels, as well as saints important to Paris, notably SaintDenis,Margaret the Virginwith a dragon, andSaint Eustace.The third and fourth circles also have some depictions ofOld Testamentsubjects. The third circle has some medallions with scenes from theNew TestamentGospel of Matthew which date from the last quarter of the 12th century. These are the oldest glass in the window.

Additional scenes in the corners around the rose window include Jesus'Descent into Hell,Adam and Eve,theResurrection of Christ.Saint PeterandSaint Paulare at the bottom of the window, andMary MagdaleneandJohn the Apostleat the top.

Above the rose was a window depicting Christ triumphant seated in the sky, surrounded by hisApostles.Below are sixteen windows with painted images of Prophets. These were not part of the original window; they were painted during the restoration in the 19th century by Alfred Gérenthe, under the direction ofEugène Viollet-le-Duc,based upon a similar window atChartres Cathedral.

The south rose had a difficult history. In 1543 it was damaged by the settling of the masonry walls, and not restored until 1725–1727. It was seriously damaged in theFrench Revolution of 1830.Rioters burned the residence of the archbishop, next to the cathedral, and many of the panes were destroyed. The window was entirely rebuilt by Viollet-le-Duc in 1861. He rotated the window by fifteen degrees to give it a clear vertical and horizontal axis, and replaced the destroyed pieces of glass with new glass in the same style. The window today contains both medieval and 19th-century glass.

In the 1960s, after three decades of debate, it was decided to replace many of the 19th-century grisaille windows in the nave designed by Viollet-le-Duc with new windows. The new windows, made byJacques Le Chevallier,are without human figures and use abstractgrisailledesigns and colour to try to recreate the luminosity of the cathedral's interior in the 13th century.

The massive fire left the three great medieval rose windows essentially intact, but with some damage.The rector of the Cathedral noted that one rose window would have to be dismantled, as it was unstable and at risk.Most of the other damaged windows were of much less historical value.

In early 2024 French President Macron proposed removing six of the seven undamaged 19th century stained glass windows created byEugene Viollet-le-Ducin the chapels along the south aisle of the nave, and replacing them with new windows with more contemporary designs. He invited contemporary artists to submit designs for the new windows. This proposal inspired a backlash in the press, and 140,000 persons signed a petition to keep the old windows. The plan for contemporary windows was finally rejected by the French Commission on Architectural Monuments and Patrimony in July, 2024.

Burials and crypts

For the Archeological Crypt located outside of Notre-Dame, seeParvis Notre-Dame – Place Jean-Paul-II.

See also:Category:Burials at Notre-Dame de Paris

Unlike some other French cathedrals, Notre-Dame was originally constructed without acrypt.In the medieval period, burials were made directly into the floor of the church, or in above-groundsarcophagi,some withtomb effigies(French:gisant). High-ranking clergy and some royals were buried in the choir and apse, while many others, including lower-ranking clergy and lay people, were buried in the nave or chapels. There is no surviving complete record of all of the burials.

In 1699, many of the choir tombs were disturbed or covered over during a major renovation project. Remains which were exhumed were reburied in a common tomb beside the high altar. In 1711, a small crypt measuring about six by six metres (20 by 20 ft) was dug out in the middle of the choir which was used as a burial vault for the archbishops, if they had not requested to be buried elsewhere. It was during this excavation that the 1st-centuryPillar of the Boatmenwas discovered.In 1758, three more crypts were dug in the Chapel of Saint-Georges to be used for burials of canons of Notre-Dame. In 1765, a larger crypt was built under the nave to be used for burials of canons, beneficiaries, chaplains, cantors, and choirboys. Between 1771 and 1773, the cathedral floor was repaved with black and white marble tiles, which covered over most of the remaining tombs. This prevented many of these tombs from being disturbed during theFrench Revolution.

In 1858, the choir crypt was expanded to stretch most of the length of the choir. During this project, many medieval tombs were rediscovered. Likewise the nave crypt was also rediscovered in 1863 when a larger vault was dug out to install a vault heater. Many other tombs are also located in the chapels.

• 
  Eudes de Sullywas the first bishop to be buried in Notre-Dame. His copper-covered sarcophocus was placed in the middle of the choir where it remained for almost five centuries.
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  The tomb of bishop Matifort (died 1304) located behind the high altar is the only surviving medieval funerary sculpture at Notre-Dame.
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  Burial vault under the choir of Notre-Dame,c. 1746.Pictured left to right are the tombs of ArchbishopsVintimilleandBellefonds,the funerary urn of ArchbishopNoailles,and two unidentified tombs.
• 
  The tomb ofArchbishop Affre(1793–1848) in the Chapel of Saint-Denis. The sculpture depicts the archbishop's mortal wounding during theJune Days uprisingwhile holding an olive branch as a sign of peace. The inscription readsPuisse mon sang être le dernier versé!( "May my blood be the last shed!" ).

Great organ

The great organ

One of the earliestorgansat Notre-Dame, built in 1403 by Frédéric Schambantz, was rebuilt many times over the course of 300 years, however 12 pipes and some wood survive from this ancient instrument. It was replaced between 1730 and 1738 byFrançois Thierry,and later rebuilt byFrançois-Henri Clicquot.During the restoration of the cathedral byEugène Viollet-le-Duc,Aristide Cavaillé-Collbuilt a new organ, using pipework from the former instruments. The organ was dedicated in 1868.

In 1904, Charles Mutin modified and added severalstopsupon the suggestions of titular organistLouis Vierne;in 1924, an electric blower was installed, which was financed byRolls-RoyceCEO,Claude Johnson.An extensive restoration and cleaning was carried out by Joseph Beuchet in 1932 which mostly included changes to the Récit. Between 1959 and 1963, the mechanical action withBarker leverswas replaced with an electric action by Jean Hermann, and a new organ console was installed.

During the following years, the stoplist was gradually modified by Robert Boisseau (who added threechamade stops:8′, 4′, and 2′/16′) in 1968 and Jean-Loup Boisseau after 1975, all upon the orders ofPierre Cochereau.In autumn 1983, the electric combination system was disconnected due to short-circuit risk.

Between 1990 and 1992, Jean-Loup Boisseau, Bertrand Cattiaux, Philippe Émeriau, Michel Giroud, and the Société Synaptel revised and augmented the instrument throughout. A new frame for the Jean Hermann console was created. Between 2012 and 2014, Bertrand Cattiaux and Pascal Quoirin restored, cleaned, and modified the organ. The stop and key action was upgraded, a new frame for selected components of the Hermann-Boisseau-Cattiaux console was created, a new enclosed division ( "Résonnance expressive", using pipework from the former "Petite Pédale" by Boisseau, which can now be used as a floating division), the organ case and the façade pipes were restored, and a general tuning was carried out. The current organ has 115 stops (156 ranks) on five manuals and pedal, and more than 8,000pipes.

In addition to the great organ in the west end, the quire of the cathedral carries a medium-sized choir organ of 2 manuals, 30 stops and 37 ranks in a 19th-century case from the 1960s. During the fire of 2019, it was heavily damaged by waterlogging, but is at least partially reusable. It also had a 5-stop single-manual continuo organ, which was completely destroyed by water from firefighters.

It was reported that the great organ itself suffered very little damage (mostly to one Principal 32' pipe and substantial dust) in the fire of April 2019, but will need cleaning.

I. Grand-Orgue C–g3	II. Positif C–g3	III. Récit C–g3	IV. Solo C–g3	V. Grand-Chœur C–g3	Résonnance expressive C–g3	Pédale C–f1(keys go to g1, but f#1 and g1 silent)
Violon-Basse 16 Bourdon 16 Montre 8 Viole de Gambe 8 Flûte harmonique 8 Bourdon 8 Prestant 4 Octave 4 Doublette 2 Fourniture harmonique II-V 4 Cymbale harmonique II-V 2 2/3 Bombarde 16 Trompette 8 Clairon 4 Chamades: Chamade 8 Chamade 4 Chamade Recit 8 Cornet Recit V (from c)	Montre 16 Bourdon 16 Salicional 8 Flûte harmonique 8 Bourdon 8 Unda maris 8 (from c) Prestant 4 Flûte douce 4 Nazard2+2⁄3 Doublette 2 Tierce1+3⁄5 Fourniture V Cymbale V Clarinette basse 16 Clarinette 8 Clarinette aiguë 4	Récit expressif: Quintaton 16 Diapason 8 Flûte traversière 8 Viole de Gambe 8 Bourdon céleste 8 (from c) Voix céleste 8 (from c) Octave 4 Flûte Octaviante 4 Quinte2+2⁄3 Octavin 2 Bombarde 16 Trompette 8 Basson-Hautbois 8 Clarinette 8 Voix humaine 8 Clairon 4 Récit classique:(from f) Cornet V 8 Hautbois 8 Chamades: Basse Chamade 8 Dessus Chamade 8 Chamade 4 Chamade Régale 8 Basse Chamade GO 8 Dessus Chamade GO 8 Chamade GO 4 Trémolo	Bourdon 32 (lowest octave acoustic) Principal 16 Montre 8 Flûte harmonique 8 Quinte5+1⁄3 Prestant 4 Tierce3+1⁄5 Nazard2+2⁄3 Septième2+2⁄7 Doublette 2 Cornet II-V 2 2/3 Grande Fourniture II 2 2/3 Fourniture V Cymbale V Cromorne 8 Chamade GO 8 Chamade GO 4 Cornet Récit V Hautbois Récit 8 (above stops: f-g3, outside swell box)	Principal 8 Bourdon 8 * Prestant 4 * Quinte2+2⁄3* Doublette 2 * Tierce1+3⁄5* Larigot1+1⁄3 Septième1+1⁄7 Piccolo 1 Plein jeu III-V 2/3 Tuba magna 16 Trompette 8 Clairon 4 Cornet V 8 (pulls out stops with asterisks)	Bourdon 16 Principal 8 Bourdon 8 Prestant 4 Flûte 4 Neuvième3+5⁄9 Tierce3+1⁄5 Onzième2+10⁄11 Nazard2+2⁄3 Flûte 2 Tierce1+3⁄5 Larigot1+1⁄3 Flageolet 1 Fourniture III Cymbale III Basson 16 Basson 8 Voix humaine 8 Chimes Tremblant	Principal 32 Contrebasse 16 Soubasse 16 Quinte10+2⁄3 Flûte 8 Violoncelle 8 Tierce6+2⁄5 Quinte5+1⁄3 Septième4+4⁄7 Octave 4 Contre-Bombarde 32 Bombarde 16 Basson 16 Trompette 8 Basson 8 Clairon 4 Chamade GO 8 Chamade GO 4 Chamade Récit 8 Chamade Récit 4 Régale 2/16

Couplers:II/I, III/I, IV/I, V/I; III/II, IV/II, V/II; IV/III, V/III; V/IV, Octave grave général, inversion Positif/Grand-orgue, Tirasses (Grand-orgue, Positif, Récit, Solo, Grand-Chœur en 8; Grand-Orgue en 4, Positif en 4, Récit en 4, Solo en 4, Grand-Chœur en 4), Sub and Super octave couplers and Unison Off for all manuals (Octaves graves, octaves aiguës, annulation 8′). Octaves aiguës Pédalier.

Additional features:Coupure Pédalier. Coupure Chamade. Appel Résonnance. Sostenuto for all manuals and the pedal. Cancel buttons for each division. 50,000 combinations (5,000 groups each). Replay system.

Organists

The position of titular organist ( "head" or "chief" organist; French:titulaires des grandes orgues) of the great organ of Notre-Dame is considered one of the most prestigious organist posts in France, along with the post of titular organist ofSaint Sulpicein Paris,Cavaillé-Coll'slargest instrument.

After the death of Pierre Cochereau, the cathedral authorities controversially decided to return to the Clicquot practice of having several titulaires, and also to guarantee that no one organist would have so much influence over the organ.

• Guillaume Maingot(1600–1609)
• Jacques Petitjean(1609–1610)
• Charles Thibault(1610–1616)
• Charles Racquet(1618–1643)
• Jean Racquet(c. 1643–1689)
• Médéric Corneille(1689–1730)
• Guillaume-Antoine Calvière(1730–1755)
• René Drouart de Bousset(1755–1760)
• Charles-Alexandre Jollage(1755–1761)
• Louis-Claude Daquin(1755–1772)
• Armand-Louis Couperin(1755–1789)
• Claude Balbastre(1760–1793)
• Pierre-Claude Foucquet(1761–1772)
• Nicolas Séjan(1772–1793)
• Claude-Étienne Luce(1772–1783)
• Jean-Jacques Beauvarlet Charpentier(1783–1793)
• Antoine Desprez(1802–1806)
• François Lacodre dit Blin(1806–1834)
• Joseph Pollet(1834–1840)
• Félix Danjou(1840–1847)
• Eugène Sergent(1847–1900)
• Louis Vierne(1900–1937)
• Léonce de Saint-Martin(1937–1954)
• Pierre Cochereau(1955–1984)
• Yves Devernay(1985–1990)
• Jean-Pierre Leguay(1985–2015)
• Philippe Lefebvre(1985–2019)
• Olivier Latry(since 1985)
• Vincent Dubois(since 2016)
• Thierry Escaich(since 2024)
• Thibault Fajoles (assistant organist, since 2024)

Bells

Main article:Bells of Notre-Dame de Paris

Emmanuel's volley solo

Notre-Dame currently has tenbells.The twolargest bells,Emmanuel and Marie, are mounted in the south tower. The eight others; Gabriel, Anne Geneviève, Denis, Marcel, Étienne, Benoît-Joseph, Maurice, and Jean-Marie; are mounted in the north tower. In addition to accompanying regular activities at the cathedral, the bells have also rung to commemorate events of national and international significance, such as thearmistice of 11 November 1918,theliberation of Paris,thefall of the Berlin Wall,and theSeptember 11 attacks.

The bells are made withbronzefor its resonance and resistance to corrosion. During the medieval period, they were oftenfoundedon the grounds of the cathedral so they would not need to be transported long distances.According to tradition, the bishop of Paris held a ceremony in which heblessed and baptizedthe bells, and a godparent formally bestowed a name on the bell. Most of the cathedral's early bells were named after the person who donated them, but they were also named after biblical figures, saints, bishops, and others.

After the baptism, the bells were hoisted into the towers through circular openings in the vaulted ceilings and mounted to headstocks to allow the bells to swing. Notre-Dame's bells swing on a straight swinging axis, meaning the axis of rotation is just above the crown of the bell. This style of ringing produces a clearer tone, as the clapper strikes the bell on the upswing, called a flying clapper. However, it also causes great horizontal forces, which can be up to one and a half times the weight of the bell.For this reason the bells are mounted within woodenbelfrieswhich are recessed from the towers' stone walls. These absorb the horizontal forces and prevent the bells from damaging the relatively brittle stonework.The current belfries date to the 19th-century restoration.

Before the French Revolution, it was common for the bells to break, and they were often removed for repairs or to be entirely recast, and sometimes renamed. The bell Guillaume, for example, was renamed three times and recast no less than five times between 1230 and 1770.

The practice of bell-ringing at Notre-Dame is recorded as early as 1198.By the end of the 14th century the bells were marking the civil hours, and in 1472 they began to call to prayer for theAngelusthree times a day, both practices which continue today. During the French Revolution, most of the cathedral's bells were removed and melted down. While many of them bore the names of the medieval bells, most were relatively recent recastings made from most of the same metal. During the 19th-century restoration, four new bells were made for the north tower. These were replaced in 2012 with nine as part of the cathedral's 850th anniversary celebration.

In addition to the main bells, the cathedral has also had smaller secondary bells. These included acarillonin the medieval flèche, three clock bells on the north transept in the 18th century, and six bells added in the 19th century – three in the reconstructed flèche and three within the roof to be heard in the sanctuary.These were destroyed during the 2019 fire.

• 
  Circular utility door (right of center) in the ceiling below the north tower made for raising and lowering bells
• 
  The bourdon Emmanuel, Notre-Dame's largest and oldest bell, cast in 1686
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  1767 illustration of a bell headstock and mounting components (left) and Notre-Dame's original south belfry (right)
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  1854 illustration by Pégard showing the 1850 belfry which is present today
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  The four 19th-century bells which were retired in 2012
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  Nine new bells exhibited in the nave in February 2013
• 
  The second bourdon Marie mounted in the south belfry

Clock

See also:Bells of Notre-Dame de Paris § Striking clock

One of four clock faces of Notre-Dame's 19th-century clock (right). Chimes for the 18th-century clock were once held in a north transept turret, similar to the one pictured left on the south transept.

The first clocks used at Notre-Dame wereclepsydras.These were used to tell the hours, which were marked by striking bells. In the 14th century Notre-Dame had two clepsydras running simultaneously, one in the cloister and one in the church itself. A lay chamberlain was responsible to keep the clocks filled with water and to notify a churchwarden when it was time to strike the bells for the hour.

In 1766, Guillot de Montjoye and Jean-Bernard de Vienne, canons and stewards of thechurch fabric,donated a mechanical clock to the cathedral. Themovementwas installed in a glass cabinet in the gallery beneath the north rose window and rang three bells placed outside above the north portal. Between 1812 and 1813, the clock and bells were moved to the north tower. A 1.34-metre (4.4 ft) clock face was installed inside the church below the organ platform.

During Viollet-le-Duc's restoration in the 19th century, a new clock was made. The 1867 Collin-Wagner movement, measuring two metres (6.6 ft) across, was located in the forest underneath thecentral flèchewithin a glass-enclosed room. This controlled four dormer clock faces visible on the transept roofs, two on each side. This clock was destroyed by the 2019 fire. Shortly after the fire, French clockmaker Jean-Baptiste Vior discovered an almost identical 1867 Collin-Wagner movement in storage atSainte-Trinité Churchin northern Paris. Olivier Chandez, who had been responsible for the upkeep of Notre-Dame's clock, described the find as "almost a miracle." While the clock cannot simply be installed in Notre-Dame itself, it is hoped that the clock can be used to create a new clock for Notre-Dame to the same specifications as the one which was destroyed.

Ownership

Until the French Revolution, Notre-Dame was the property of the archbishop of Paris and therefore theRoman Catholic Church.It was nationalized on 2 November 1789 and since then has been the property of the French state.Under the Concordat of 1801, use of the cathedral was returned to the Church, but not ownership. Legislation from 1833 and 1838 clarified that cathedrals were maintained at the expense of the French government. This was reaffirmed inthe 1905 law on the separation of Church and State,designating the Catholic Church as having the exclusive right to use it for religious purposes in perpetuity. Notre-Dame is one of seventy historic churches in France with this status. The archdiocese is responsible for paying the employees, for security, heating and cleaning, and for ensuring that the cathedral is open free of charge to visitors. The archdiocese does not receive subsidies from the French state.

Gallery

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  During reconstruction following the fire
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  Notre-Dame at the end of the 19th century
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  An 1853 photo byCharles NègreofHenri Le Secqnext toLe Stryge
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  19th-centuryvestments
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  A wide angle view of Notre-Dame's western façade
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  Notre-Dame'sfaçadeshowing the Portal of theVirgin,Portal of theLast Judgment,and Portal ofSt-Anne
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  A 2010 view of Notre-Dame fromTour Montparnasse
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  A wide angle view of Notre-Dame's western façade
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  Virgin of Paris,14th century. The Statue ofVirgin and Childinside Notre-Dame de Paris
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  Notre-Dame's high altar with the kneeling statues ofLouis XIIIandLouis XIV
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  Southrose windowof Notre-Dame
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  Flying buttressesof Notre-Dame
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  Memorial tablet to the British Empire dead of the First World War
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  Tympanumof theLast Judgment
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  StatueofJoan of Arcin Notre-Dame's interior
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  Close look of the details on the Tympanum of the Last Judgment (2016)
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  Façade of Notre-Dame
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  French road system'sPoint Zérospot on the ground in front of Notre-Dame (since 1924)

See also

• Archbishop's Palace of Paris,destroyed 1831
• Architecture of Paris
• List of tourist attractions in Paris
• Gothic cathedrals and churches
• List of destroyed heritage
• List of Gothic cathedrals in Europe
• List of historic churches in Paris
• List of tallest buildings and structures in the Paris region
• Musée de Notre Dame de Paris
• Notre-Dame du Calvaire, Paris
• Roman Catholic Marian churches
• Notre Dame de Roscudon Church

References

English-language

• Bruzelius, Caroline(December 1987). "The Construction of Notre-Dame in Paris".The Art Bulletin.69(4): 540–569.doi:10.1080/00043079.1987.10788458.JSTOR3050998.
• Davis, Michael T. "Splendor and Peril: The Cathedral of Paris, 1290–1350."The Art Bulletin(1998) 80#1 pp: 34–66.
• Herrick, James A.(2004).The Making of the New Spirituality.InterVarsity Press.ISBN0-8308-3279-3.
• Inglis, Erik (2003). "Gothic Architecture and a Scholastic: Jean de Jandun's Tractatus de laudibus Parisius".Gesta.42(XLII/1): 63–85.doi:10.2307/25067075.JSTOR25067075.S2CID190312592.
• Jacobs, Jay, ed.The Horizon Book of Great Cathedrals.New York City: American Heritage Publishing, 1968
• Janson, H. W.History of Art.3rd Edition. New York City:Harry N. Abrams, Inc.,1986
• Follett, Ken(2019).Notre-Dame: a short history of the meaning of cathedrals.New York: Viking.ISBN9781984880253.
• Myers, Bernard S.Art and Civilization.New York City:McGraw-Hill,1957
• Riley, Henry T. (1851).The fasti; Tristia; Pontic epistles; Ibis; and, Halieuticon of Ovid.London: H.G. Bohn.LCCN2010554460.
• Sandron, Dany;Tallon, Andrew(2013).Notre Dame Cathedral: Nine Centuries of History.Translated by Cook, Lindsay; Tallon, Andrew. University Park, Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania State University Press (published 5 April 2020).ISBN9780271086224.
• Stone, Daniel (2001).The Polish–Lithuanian State, 1386–1795.University of Washington Press.ISBN0-295-98093-1.
• Williamson, Paul (1995).Gothic Sculpture, 1140–1300.Yale University Press.ISBN978-030006-338-7.OCLC469571482.
• Wright, Craig.Music and ceremony at Notre Dame of Paris, 500–1550(Cambridge University Press, 2008)

French-language

• Billon, Jean-Baptiste-Benjamin (1866).Campanologie: Étude sur les Cloches et les Sonneries Françaises et Étrangères.Caen: F. Le Blanc-Hardel. pp. 111–113.
• Cabezas, Hervé (1988). "Du" vitrail archéologique "".Revue d'archéologie moderne et d'archéologie générale.6.
• Delisle, Léopold, ed. (1873).Chronique de Robert de Torigni, abbé du Mont-Saint-Michel.Le Brument.
• Doré, Joseph, ed. (2012).Notre-Dame de Paris.La grâce d'une cathédrale. Strasbourg: La Nuée Bleue (published 4 October 2012).ISBN978-2809907988.
• Ducher, Robert (1988).Caractéristique des Styles.Flammarion.ISBN2-08-011539-1.
• Duvergier, Jean-Baptiste(1825).Collection complète des lois, décrets, ordonnances, réglements, et avis du Conseil d'État(1 ed.). Guyot et Scribe.
• Gueffier, Claude-Pierre (1763).Description historique des curiosités de l'eglise de Paris, contenant le détail de l'édifice, tant extérieur qu'intérieur, le trésor, les chapelles, tombeaux, épitaphes, et l'explication des tableaux, avec les noms des peintres, etc.Paris: Chez C. P. Gueffier, Pere, Libraire, Parvis Notre-Dame, à la Libéralité.
• Henriet, Jacques (2005).A l'aube de l'architecture gothique.University of Franche-ComtéPress.ISBN9782848671178.
• Lassus, Jean-Baptiste;Viollet-le-Duc, Eugène(1843).Projet de restauration de Notre-Dame de Paris.Imprimerie Lacombe.
• Leproux, Guy-Michel (2001).La peinture à Paris sous le règne de François Ier.Sorbonne.ISBN9782840502104.
• Lissagaray, Prosper-Olivier (200).Histoire de la Commune de 1871 (1876).Paris: La Decouverte/Poche.ISBN978-2-70-714520-8.
• Lours, Mathieu (2018).Dictionnaire des Cathédrales(in French). Éditions Jean-Paul Gisserot.ISBN978-2755-807653.
• Mignon, Olivier (2015).Architecture des Cathédrales Gothiques(in French). Éditions Ouest-France.ISBN978-2-7373-6535-5.
• Mortet, Victor(1888).Étude historique et archéologique sur la cathédrale et le palais épiscopal de Paris du vie au xiie siècle.A. Picard.
• Pisani, Paul (1908).L'Église de Paris et la Révolution.Al. Picard.
• Renault, Christophe and Lazé, Christophe,Les Styles de l'architecture et du mobilier,(2006), Gisserot;ISBN9-782877-474658
• Teulet, Alexandre (1862).Relations politiques de la France et de l'Espagne avec l'Écosse au XVIe siècle.Vol. 1. Renouard.
• Tonazzi, Pascal.Florilège de Notre-Dame de Paris (anthologie),EditionsArléa,Paris, 2007,ISBN2-86959-795-9
• de Villefosse, René Héron(1980).Solennités, fêtes et réjouissances parisiennes.Association pour la publication d'une histoire de Paris.ISBN9782859620028.
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• Wenzler, Claude (2018).Cathédales Cothiques – un Défi Médiéval.Éditions Ouest-France.ISBN978-2-7373-7712-9.

Online references

• Archives parlementaires.Vol. 22.Stanford Libraries.Archived fromthe originalon 17 April 2019.Retrieved24 April2019.

External links

• "Monument historique – PA00086250".Mérimée databaseofMonuments Historiques(in French). France:Ministère de la Culture.1993.Retrieved17 July2011.
• Official website of Notre-Dame de Paris(in English)also(in French)
• Official website of Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris
• Official site of Music at Notre-Dame de Paris(in English)also(in French)
• Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral Fire
• Further information on the Organ with specifications of the Grandes Orgues and the Orgue de Choeur
• Tridentine Mass celebrated in Notre-Dame in 2017