The Building of Notre-Dame de Paris

The cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris is one of the most famous and most significant Gothic cathedrals in the world, and its construction in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries marked a major moment in the development of the Gothic style. The cathedral was begun in 1163 under the direction of Bishop Maurice de Sully, and it was substantially completed by 1345. The cathedral was a major statement of the spiritual and political ambitions of the medieval Church and the medieval city, and it became a model for Gothic architecture across Europe. The cathedral has been modified and restored many times over the centuries, and it continues to be a major landmark of Paris and a major symbol of French culture and identity.

The standard English-language treatment is Alain Erlande-Brandenburg, “The Cathedral: The Social and Architectural Dynamics of Construction” (Cambridge, 1994). The Chronicle of the construction of Notre-Dame, in the archives of the Chapter (the Cartulaire of the Chapter), is the primary source. The page below treats the building from the laying of the first stone in 1163 to the great restoration by Viollet-le-Duc in the nineteenth century.

The Origins of the Cathedral

The cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris was built on the site of an earlier cathedral, which was itself built on the site of a Gallo-Roman temple. The earliest Christian church on the site was a basilica built in the fourth century, and it was the cathedral of the Bishop of Paris from the fourth to the twelfth century. The earlier cathedral was a Romanesque church that was inadequate for the growing population of Paris and for the spiritual ambitions of the bishopric. Bishop Maurice de Sully decided to demolish the older cathedral and to build a new and larger cathedral on the site.

The decision to build the new cathedral was part of a broader program of construction and reform in the diocese of Paris in the twelfth century. The twelfth century was a period of religious fervor and architectural ambition in France, and the French bishops were major patrons of the new architecture. The construction of Notre-Dame de Paris was part of this broader program, and it was one of the most ambitious building projects of the period.

The Construction of the Cathedral

The construction of the cathedral was a major enterprise that involved decades of work and the resources of the bishopric, the city, and private donors. The cathedral was begun in 1163, with the laying of the foundation stones of the choir. The choir was completed and consecrated in 1182, and the nave was begun in 1182 and completed in 1208. The western facade was begun in 1208 and completed in 1228. The two towers of the western facade were completed around 1250, and the upper gallery was added in the late thirteenth century. The chapels of the nave and the choir were added in the fourteenth century, and the cathedral was substantially completed by 1345.

The construction of the cathedral was directed by a series of master builders and architects, whose names are known only partially from the medieval records. The earliest master of the works was Jean de Chelles, who directed the construction of the choir and the beginning of the nave. The later masters of the works included Pierre de Montreuil, who directed the construction of the upper chapels and the refectory of the cathedral. The masters of the works were highly skilled craftsmen who combined engineering expertise with artistic sensitivity, and they were responsible for the design and the construction of one of the most impressive buildings of the medieval world.

The construction of the cathedral was financed by a combination of sources. The bishopric of Paris contributed significant resources to the construction, and the bishop was often directly involved in the oversight of the work. The city of Paris also contributed resources to the construction, and the city council often participated in the decision-making about the cathedral. Private donors — kings, queens, nobles, merchants, and craftsmen — also contributed significant resources to the construction, and the donations were often acknowledged by inscriptions or by portraits in the cathedral.

The Architecture of the Cathedral

The architecture of the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris is a major example of the early Gothic style. The cathedral has a Latin cross plan, with a nave of five bays, a choir of five bays, and a transept of three bays. The nave is approximately 127 meters long and 48 meters wide, and the transept is approximately 64 meters wide. The vaults of the nave reach a height of 35 meters (115 feet), and the towers of the western facade reach a height of 69 meters (226 feet). The cathedral is oriented east-west, with the main entrance on the west and the choir on the east.

The architecture of the cathedral is characterized by the early Gothic emphasis on verticality and lightness. The pointed arches of the nave and the triforium are major features of the early Gothic style, and the ribbed vaults of the nave are major examples of the ribbed vault technique. The flying buttresses that support the nave are major examples of the flying buttress technique, and they allowed the elimination of the heavy internal buttresses and the use of large windows in the clerestory.

The western facade of the cathedral is one of the most impressive examples of Gothic architecture in Europe. The facade is divided into three horizontal bands — the portal level, the gallery level, and the clerestory level — and it is crowned by the two towers of the western front. The three portals of the facade are decorated with elaborate sculptural programs that depict the lives of the saints and the scenes of the Last Judgment. The gallery of the kings, which runs across the facade above the portals, is a major example of Gothic sculpture, and it depicts the kings of Judah and Israel as ancestors of Christ.

The Stained Glass of the Cathedral

The stained glass of the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris is a major treasure of the medieval world. The stained glass windows of the cathedral were installed in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, and they represent the highest achievement of the early Gothic style. The stained glass of the cathedral is arranged in three major programs: the stained glass of the choir and the apse (the earliest program, dating to the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries), the stained glass of the nave (a later program, dating to the mid-thirteenth century), and the stained glass of the chapels (a still later program, dating to the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries).

The stained glass of the choir and the apse is a major example of the early Gothic style, and it depicts scenes from the life of Christ and the Virgin Mary. The rose window of the north transept (the Mare de Deus — Sea of Mary — or the Window of the Virgin) is a major example of the Gothic rose window, and it depicts the Virgin Mary surrounded by scenes from the Old and New Testaments. The rose window of the south transept is similar in style and program, and it depicts the last judgment of Christ.

The stained glass of the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris was largely destroyed during the French Revolution of the late eighteenth century, and the cathedral was extensively restored in the nineteenth century by the architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. The restoration of the stained glass was a major undertaking that involved the reconstruction of the stained glass windows from fragments of the original and from new stained glass made in the nineteenth century. The restoration is a major example of nineteenth-century Gothic Revival architecture, and it provides a major source for the study of medieval and nineteenth-century stained glass.

The Cultural Significance of the Cathedral

The cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris has been a major symbol of Paris and of France for centuries. The cathedral was the site of major historical events — the coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte as emperor of the French in 1804, the beatification of Joan of Arc in 1909, the liberation of Paris in 1944 — and it has been a major destination of pilgrims and tourists for centuries. The cathedral was the subject of Victor Hugo’s novel Notre-Dame de Paris (1831), which raised public awareness of the cathedral and contributed to the Gothic Revival of the nineteenth century. The cathedral was a major symbol of French Catholicism and French national identity, and it continued to serve as a cathedral of the Roman Catholic Church until the French Revolution and again from 1802.

The cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris was severely damaged by a major fire in April 2019, which destroyed the roof and the spire of the cathedral and caused significant damage to the interior. The fire provoked a wave of sympathy and support for the cathedral from across the world, and a major restoration campaign was launched immediately after the fire. The restoration of the cathedral was expected to take several years, and the cathedral was reopened in December 2024. The fire and the restoration highlighted the continuing cultural and historical importance of the cathedral and its place in the collective memory of France and the world.

The Legacy of Notre-Dame de Paris

The legacy of the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris is immense. The cathedral is one of the most famous buildings in the world, and it has been a major symbol of Paris and France for centuries. The cathedral is a major example of Gothic architecture, and it influenced the development of Gothic style across Europe. The cathedral is a major subject of modern historical and architectural study, and it continues to inspire awe and admiration in the modern era.

The cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris is a major subject of modern tourism and cultural heritage. The cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (as part of the Banks of the Seine in Paris), and it attracts millions of visitors each year. The cathedral is a major symbol of French Catholicism and French national identity, and it continues to shape the identity of Paris and France in the modern era. The cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris is a major monument of the medieval world, and it remains a major subject of modern historical inquiry and popular interest.

Sources

Principal sources used in this article:

Otto von Simson, The Gothic Cathedral (Princeton, 1956; 3rd ed. 1988).

Further reading:

Kenneth J. Conant, Carolingian and Romanesque Architecture, 800–1200 (Yale, 1959; repr. 1992).

For a recent single-volume synthesis with full scholarly apparatus, see the relevant chapter of Barbara H. Rosenwein, A Short History of the Middle Ages (University of Toronto Press, 2014).