Notre Dame trivia: 75 interesting facts about the symbol of Paris!

Notre Dame is one of the most recognisable buildings on the face of the planet. Recently a fire destroyed most of it!

So let’s find out some trivia and facts about this famous sight!

1. Notre-Dame de Paris means “Our Lady of Paris”
2. Often referred to simply as Notre-Dame
3. It is a medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité in the 4th arrondissement of Paris, France
4. The cathedral is considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture
5. Its innovative use of the rib vault and flying buttress
6. Its enormous and colourful rose windows
7. And the naturalism and abundance of its sculptural decoration set it apart from the earlier Romanesque style
8. The cathedral was begun in 1160 under Bishop Maurice de Sully
9. It was largely complete by 1260
10. Though it was modified frequently in the ensuing centuries
11. In the 1790s, Notre-Dame suffered desecration during the French Revolution
12. Much of its religious imagery was damaged or destroyed
13. In 1804, the cathedral was the site of the Coronation of Napoleon I as Emperor of France
14. And witnessed the baptism of Henri, Count of Chambord in 1821
15. And the funerals of several presidents of the Third French Republic
16. Popular interest in the cathedral blossomed soon after the publication, in 1831, of Victor Hugo’s novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame
17. This led to a major restoration project between 1844 and 1864
18. Supervised by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc
19. Who added the cathedral’s iconic spire
20. The liberation of Paris was celebrated within Notre-Dame in 1944 with the singing of the Magnificat
21. Beginning in 1963, the façade of the cathedral was cleaned of centuries of soot and grime
22. Returning it to its original colour
23. Another cleaning and restoration project was carried out between 1991 and 2000
24. The cathedral is one of the most widely recognized symbols of the city of Paris
25. And the French nation
26. As the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Paris, Notre-Dame contains the cathedra of the Archbishop of Paris (Michel Aupetit)
27. 12 million people visit Notre-Dame annually
28. Making it the most visited monument in Paris
29. While undergoing renovation and restoration, the cathedral caught fire on 15 April 2019
30. And sustained significant damage
31. Including the destruction of the spire
32. And two-thirds of the roof
33. French President Emmanuel Macron announced that Notre-Dame will be rebuilt
34. Stating “It’s part of the fate, the destiny of France, and our common project over the coming years. And I am committed to it.”
35. The two towers are sixty-nine metres high
36. And were the tallest structures in Paris until the completion of the Eiffel Tower in 1889
37. The towers were the last major element of the cathedral to be constructed
38. The south tower was built first
39. Between 1220 and 1240
40. And the north tower between 1235 and 1250
41. The newer north tower is slightly larger
42. As can be seen when they are viewed from directly in front of the church
43. The contrefort or buttress of the north tower is also larger
44. The north tower is accessible to visitors by a stairway
45. Whose entrance is on the north side of the tower
46. The stairway has 387 steps
47. And has a stop at the Gothic hall at the level of the rose window
48. There visitors can look over the parvis and see a collection of paintings and sculpture from earlier periods of the cathedral’s history
49. The ten bells of the cathedral are located in the south tower
50. A water reservoir, covered with a lead roof, is located between the two towers
51. Behind the colonnade and the gallery and in front of the nave and the pignon
52. It can be used to quickly extinguish a fire
53. The cathedral’s flèche (or spire) was located over the transept and altar
54. It was destroyed in the April 2019 fire
55. The original spire was constructed in the 13th century
56. Probably between 1220 and 1230
57. It was battered, weakened and bent by the wind over five centuries
58. And finally was removed in 1786
59. During the 19th-century restoration, Eugène Viollet-le-Duc decided to recreate it
60. Making a new version of oak covered with lead
61. The entire spire weighed 750 tons
62. Following Viollet-le-Duc’s plans, the spire was surrounded by copper statues of the twelve Apostles
63. In four groups of three
64. One group at each point of the compass
65. Each of the four groups were preceded by an animal symbolising one of the four evangelists
66. A steer for Saint Luke, a lion for Saint Mark, an eagle for Saint John and an angel for Saint Matthew
67. Just days prior to the spire’s collapse, all of the statues were removed for restoration
68. While in place, they had faced outwards towards Paris
69. Except one, the statue of Saint Thomas, the patron saint of architects
70. Which faced the spire, and had the features of Viollet-le-Duc
71. The rooster at the summit of the spire contained three relics
72. A tiny piece of the Crown of Thorns, located in the treasury of the Cathedral
73. And relics of Denis and Saint Genevieve, patron saints of Paris
74. They were placed there in 1935 by the Archibishop Jean Verdier
75. To protect the congregation from lightning or other harm