Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral (Notre Dame Cathedral) is a legend in Paris. Notre Dame Cathedral de Paris who sings in Russian

The monumental and majestic Notre Dame Cathedral rises on the Ile de la Cité in the center of Paris. Its amazing history is full of terrible, bloody, daring and epic events.

He was an eyewitness to revolutions and wars, destruction and reconstruction, immortalized in art, continuing to amaze with a strict and rich gothic architecture, woven into the cast unity of the Romanesque style.

Book a visit to the rooftop of the Cathedral

Temple to be! the king decided

Louis VII

Louis VII reigned in 1163. Initially, he was going to become a monk, but by the will of fate he was forced to take the throne when his elder brother Philip, the main heir, died by falling from a horse. Having become king, Louis remained faithful to the church all his life, and it was under him that the construction of Notre Dame de Paris began, and Pope Alexander III had the honor to lay the cornerstone in the foundation.

This majestic temple occupied the territory on which the higher powers are destined to build God's houses. According to archaeologists, four churches stood here in different eras.

The very first, in the 4th century, the early Christian church illuminated the earth, followed by the Merovingian basilica, then the Carolingian cathedral, then the Romanesque cathedral, which was subsequently completely destroyed, and the stones were put on the foundation of the current sanctuary.

In 1177, the walls were raised, and the main altar was erected and lit in 1182. This event marked the completion of the arrangement of the eastern part of the transept. From that moment on, it was already possible to conduct divine services in the building, although the painstaking work still had to last more than one decade. In 1186, the first grave appeared on the territory - the Duke of Brittany Geoffrey, and in 1190 - Queen Isabella de Hainaut.

The construction of the nave was nearing completion, and in 1200 the construction of the western facade began, which is now easily recognizable by the two distinctive towers at the main entrance. There was not enough space for the grandiose building, and in 1208 several nearby houses had to be demolished.

The southern bell tower began to function in 1240, and the northern tower 10 years later. This is considered to be the completion of the first stage of the construction of the famous cathedral.

The final works of a century

By 1257, first the north and then the south facades for the transept (a cruciform cornice on the plan) were built. In the same year, a spire was erected on the lead roof, which was destroyed in 1789 during the revolutionary unrest, and now in its place is a copy installed during the restoration process in 1840 by Engen Viollet-de-Duc.

The side chapels continued to be built until the 14th century, but the final touch is the completion of the installation of a fence around the liturgical choir with luxurious folding chairs in which the canons were located. Minor work was carried out for some time, but Notre Dame Cathedral was formally completed in 1351, and remained intact until the 18th century.

Events and faces in history

Over the course of two centuries, many architects worked on the architectural ensemble, but the most famous were the names of Jean de Chel and Pierre de Montreuil. Jean began work in 1258, and his brainchild is the facades adjoining the nave and the gates on the south and north sides, as indicated by a tablet on the south side facade.

After the death of Jean, in 1265, Pierre, a famous person from the time of the "radiant Gothic", who was called the doctor of stone affairs, came to replace him.

Periodically, the interior was changed, supplemented or restored.

In the years 1708 - 1725, the designer and architect of the early Rococo period, Robert de Cotes, changed the appearance of the space in front of the main altar - the cathedral choir. In 1711, he removed from under the throne elements of the column of the Pillar of Shipbuilders, which had once been supplied by the shipping corporation from Lutetia. A new main altar and sculptures were erected in this place.

On the edge of death

Further, the French Revolution made its own adjustments. Robespierre, as one of its most influential participants, put forward a demand to pay compensation to the Convention for all future revolutions, if the city does not want "the stronghold of obscurantism to be demolished."

However, this did not affect the decision of the Convention in 1793, which decided that "all emblems of all kingdoms should be blotted out from the face of the earth." At the same time, Robespierre took considerable pleasure in giving orders to behead the monarchs who lined up in the gallery and represent the kings of the Old Testament.

The revolutionaries did not spare the rest of the architecture either, destroying stained-glass windows and robbing expensive utensils. At first, the parish was declared the Temple of Reason, later the center of the Cult of the Supreme Being, until the premises were given over to a food warehouse, and then they completely lost interest in it, leaving oblivion in the grip of oblivion.

Do not be surprised to see the statues of kings intact and unharmed - in mid-nineteenth centuries, the ensemble was restored. When restoration work was carried out in 1977, some of the kings were found in a burial place under a private house. Its owner at one time bought the sculptures, as if for the foundation, he himself buried them with honors, and then placed a house over them, hiding the graves of the overthrown government.

Restoration of former greatness

Victor Hugo

Until the beginning of the 19th century, Notre Dame gradually fell into disrepair. The majestic cathedral was decrepit, crumbling, turning into ruins, and the authorities already had the idea of ​​demolishing it.

In 1802, Napoleon returned the building to the bosom of the church, which hastened to re-consecrate it. But in order to awaken in the Parisians a desire to save the temple, to awaken a love for their history and architecture, a push was needed. They became the novel by Victor Hugo "Notre Dame Cathedral", where love passions unfold on the pages, published in 1831.

Thanks to the architect-restorer Viollet-de-Duc, the temple not only received a new life, but acquired a fresh face.

First of all, he took care to repair serious damage in order to stop further devastation. Then he set about restoring the destroyed statues, sculptural compositions, did not forget about the spire, which was also demolished during the revolution.

The new needle is 96 m long, made of oak and upholstered with lead. At the base, it is surrounded on four sides by the figures of the apostles, and in front of them are winged tetramorphs: the bull is the symbol of Luke, the lion is Mark, the angel is Matthew, the eagle is John. It is noteworthy that all the sculptures turned their eyes to Paris, and only St. Thomas, patron of architects, half turned around and examines the spire.

It took 23 years for all the work, which indicates the catastrophic state of the temple before the restoration began.

Viollet also proposed to demolish the buildings that were in those days in close proximity to the cathedral, and now in their place in front of the facade there is a modern square.

Since then, the building has remained in a relatively constant state, only occasionally undergoing forced cosmetic work. It wasn't even damaged during recent wars. At the end of the 20th century, it was decided to carry out general work to refresh it and restore the original golden hue of the sandstone facade.

And strange beasts were born

A very successful idea was to plant chimeras at the foot of the towers. They have become not only an exotic decoration, but also a disguise for a sewer system that prevents moisture from accumulating on the roof, provoking mold and gradually undermining the masonry.

Here you can distinguish animals, dragons, gargoyles, demons, other fantastic creatures and people. All the gargoyles carefully peer into the distance, turning their heads to the west, waiting for the sun to hide behind the horizon, the time for the children of the night will come, and then they will come to life.

In the meantime, the animals froze in a waiting pose with an expression of impatience on their faces, like inexorable guardians of morality in search of a manifestation of sin. These otherworldly inhabitants of Notre Dame de Paris endow the famous temple with a special charisma. If you want to look them in the eye, for a fee, you will be lifted upstairs by a lift.

External decoration of the cathedral

Being nearby, I want to examine it in all its details, never tired of being surprised by the skill of the architects, who managed to achieve amazing results in the harmony of images and completeness of forms.

The main entrance has three lancet gates illustrated with expositions from the Gospel. The central one tells the story of the Last Judgment with the chief judge - Jesus Christ. On the sides of the arch, seven statues were lined up, below - the dead who had risen from their tombs, awakened by the horns of angels.

Among the awakened dead, one can see women, warriors, one pope and a king. Such a motley company makes it clear that all of us, regardless of status, will stand before the highest justice, and will equally answer for our earthly deeds.

The right entrance is decorated with a statue of the Blessed Virgin and Child, while the left one is given to the Mother of God and includes images of the symbols of the zodiac, as well as a scene when a crown is put on the head of the Virgin Mary.

Immediately above the three portals are 28 crowned statues - the same kings who were overthrown from their pedestals during the revolution, and which were later restored by Viollet de Duc.

Above bloomed a large western wind rose. It is the only one that has retained partial authenticity. It has two circles with stained-glass petals (the small one has 12 petals, the large one has 24), enclosed in a square, which symbolizes the unity of the divine infinity and the material world of people.

For the first time, the cathedral rose was decorated with stained-glass windows in 1230, and they tell about the eternal struggle between vices and virtue. It also includes symbols of the zodiac and scenes of the work of peasants, and in the center is the figure of the Mother of God with the baby.
In addition to the central rose, with a diameter of 9.5 m, the other two 13 m each decorate the facades from the south and north, being considered the largest in Europe.

Looking closely at the towers at the main entrance, you will notice that the northern one, which stands closer to the Seine, looks more massive than its southern neighbor. This is because only on it until the 15th century bells rang. If the main alarm sounds in rare cases, then the rest announce the time at 8 and 19 hours.

Each bell has an individuality, differing own name, tone and weight. "Angelique Francoise" - a heavyweight lady, 1765 kg and voice in C-sharp. Less impressive, but also inspiring respect - "Antoinette Charlotte" in 1158 kg, sounding in D-sharp. She is followed by "Hyacinth Jeanne", whose weight is only 813 kg, and she sings in the note of F. And, finally, the smallest bell is “Danis David”, which does not exceed the weight of 670 kg and sings along in the chime like F-sharp.

Inside the holy of holies

You can talk about the luxurious interior decoration of the temple for hours, but it is much more pleasant to plunge into this splendor in person. Looking forward to sightseeing, take a look at the Notre Dame Cathedral photo, and feel its solemn atmosphere.

It is impossible not to mention the impression when the hall bathes in the daytime rays of the sun, refracted through numerous stained-glass windows, which makes the lighting look futuristic, magical, unearthly and mysterious, playing with multi-colored highlights.

There are 110 windows in total in the cathedral, and all are glazed with stained-glass windows with a biblical theme. True, not many survived, since merciless time and people destroyed most of them in different time, and copies were installed in their place in the middle of the 19th century.

However, some glass panels managed to survive to this day. They are unique in that, due to the imperfection of the glass manufacturing technology of that time, they look more massive, uneven, and they contain random inclusions and air balls. But the former masters managed to turn even these flaws into virtues, making the paintings in these places sparkle, play with play of light and color.

Inside the temple, the wind roses look even more amazing, and even mysterious, thanks to the light penetrating through their stained glass windows. The lower part of the central flower is covered by an impressive organ, but the side ones are visible in all their splendor.

The organ has always been present in Notre Dame, but for the first time in 1402 it became really large. At first, they did it simply - the old instrument was placed in a newer gothic shell. It has been tuned and rebuilt many times throughout history to keep it looking and sounding the way it should. Modern civilization did not ignore him either - in 1992 the copper cable was replaced with an optical one, and the control principle was made computerized.

You will spend more than one hour in the temple, paying attention to paintings, sculptures, bas-reliefs, ornaments, stained-glass windows, chandeliers, columns. Not a single detail can be ignored, because each is an integral part of a unique ensemble, a part of biblical and secular history.

Photo gallery of stained glass windows of Notre Dame de Paris

1 of 12

Inside, time seems to flow differently. As if you are going through a time loop, and plunge into a completely different reality. Sit on a bench, let yourself be amazed by the unique, luxurious interior, and then close your eyes and soak up the solemn sounds of the organ, enjoy the scent of candles.

But you will feel the edge of the centuries especially vividly when you leave the walls of the cathedral, and you will not be able to resist the temptation to return to the peaceful atmosphere again.

You should also go down to the treasury, which stores unique things, and is located under the square in front of the cathedral. Of particular pride is the sacred artifact - the crown of thorns of the Savior, which in 1239 was transferred to the temple by the monarch Louis IX, having bought it from the Byzantine emperor.

Bright footprint in life and culture

For many centuries, Notre Dame Cathedral has inspired, united and gathered people from different eras under its arches. Knights came here to pray before the Crusade; here they crowned, married and buried kings; members of the first parliament of France gathered within its walls; Here they celebrated the victory over the Nazi troops.

For the preservation and resurrection of such a beautiful monument of architecture, one must also thank Victor Hugo, because with his great work he was able to reach out to the Parisians. Today, this majestic building inspires contemporary writers, filmmakers and authors. computer games on their variations of events, with treacherous enemies and brave heroes, revealing age-old secrets and mysteries.

Notre Dame Cathedral on the map

Great writer. The action begins with the story of vagabonds who arrive in Paris and try to get to Notre Dame Cathedral. They are stopped and driven off by a regiment of royal archers led by Captain Phoebus. The captain, betrothed to the young Fleur de Lis, looks at one of the gypsies - Esmeralda. She is under the patronage of a gypsy baron, as she was left without parents.

Esmeralda is no stranger to male attention. The bell-ringer of Notre Dame, a hunchback named Quasimodo, who is trying with all his might to please the gypsy, is also in love with her. Priest Frollo is also not indifferent to the beauty, but his love borders on hatred. He accuses Esmeralda of witchcraft and persuades Quasimodo to kidnap the girl. The plans are thwarted by Captain Phoebus, Frollo is hiding, and Quasimodo is arrested by the royal guards and sentenced to be wheeled, but he manages to escape, not without the help of Esmeralda.

Meanwhile, the gypsy falls in love with Phoebus: she agrees to come on a date, spends the night with him. The priest, who learned about this, bursts into their bedroom and wounds the captain with Esmeralda's dagger, while he himself hides again. Now the girl is accused of being a royal shooter, a mortal awaits her. The judge is the two-faced Frollo: after Esmeralda refuses to become his mistress, he orders her to be hanged. And Captain Phoebus, having recovered, returns to his bride.

Only in 1163, already under Louis VII, one of the leaders of the Second Crusade, when a special Gothic style developed, did they begin to build a cathedral. Bishop Maurice de Sully supervised all construction work. He sought to create an unusual temple that would accommodate a whole

NOTRE DAME DE PARIS

NOTRE DAME DE PARIS is the most successful musical staged in Europe in the last five years. The musical "NOTRE DAME DE PARIS", based on the novel by Victor Hugo, premiered in Paris on September 18, 1998. The production became a real bestseller, receiving awards for best performance, best song and best selling album. "NOTRE DAME DE PARIS" was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the best-selling musical. More than 7,000,000 French-language albums with the recording of the musical were sold in the world alone. World recognition came to the performers of the main roles in "NOTRE DAME DE PARIS".

The authors of such a successful production were the composer Richard Cocciante and the creator of the original version, Luc Plamondon. The latter is widely known as the lyricist of Celine Dion, as well as the author of the libretto of the famous musical "Starmania". Richard Cochante, composer of music, is incredibly popular not only as a composer, but also as a singer, performing his own works in four languages.

The idea of ​​creating a musical originated with Luc Plamondon. In 1993, he began to search for a plot for a new musical performance in French literature. “I turned to various characters and did not even pay attention to Esmeralda. I headed straight for the letter "K" - and stopped at Quasimodo. It was then that Notre Dame Cathedral became a reality for me,” he recalls. “This is a well-known story that speaks for itself and needs no explanation. That is why a dozen films have appeared on the plot of Victor Hugo's novel, starting from the time of silent films and ending with Disney cartoons. The more I watched various dramatic and ballet interpretations of the novel, the more I became convinced that I was on the right track. Rereading the novel, Plamondon makes sketches for thirty songs. Then the composer Richard Cochante joins the work. “Richard had some really great tunes that he didn't want to use on his albums. He played me motives, which later became "Dance, my Esmeralda", "Belle", "It's time for cathedrals." They were worthy to enter the musical, and that was their strength,” recalls Luke. We can say that the history of the musical began with the song "Belle".

After the successful premiere of "NOTRE DAME DE PARIS" in Paris, the musical began its journey around the world.

The plot of the musical Notre Dame de Paris

Quasimodo loves Esmeralda, who loves Phoebe. He is married to Fleur-de-Lys, but is infatuated with a gypsy. Frollo is a witness to all this action, he himself is trapped. Carnal desire, rejected from childhood, breaks out like a volcano in front of a beauty. Gringoire pushes him into "the abyss of conscience". Frollo is even going to kill Phoebus in order to achieve the love of Esmeralda. And it is she who is accused of attempting to kill Phoebus.

Quasimodo rescues Esmeralda from prison and closes her in the tower of Notre Dame. Clopin and a gang of vagabonds break into the cathedral to free Esmeralda. Phoebus and his army are tasked with putting down the rebellion. Clopin is killed in the skirmish. Gringoire becomes a voluntary poet, thereby becoming a herald of vagabonds.

A helpless Quasimodo allows Phoebus to take Esmeralda, believing that the latter has come to rescue her. Phoebus, on the contrary, came to announce to Esmeralda that she would be hanged. Quasimodo throws Frollo off the tower of Notre Dame and arrives too late at the place of execution at Place Greve. He asks the executioner to hand over the body of Esmeralda to die with her in the chains of Montfaucon.

“Several years ago, while inspecting Notre Dame Cathedral, or, to be more precise, examining it, the author of this book found in a dark corner of one of the towers the following word inscribed on the wall: ANAGCH.

These Greek letters, darkened by Time and rather deeply cut into the stone, certain signs characteristic of Gothic writing, imprinted in the shape and arrangement of the letters, as if indicating that they were drawn by the hand of a man of the Middle Ages, and, in particular, a gloomy and fatal meaning. contained in them deeply impressed the author.

And now nothing remains of either the mysterious word carved into the wall of the gloomy tower of the cathedral, or of that unknown fate that this word so sadly denoted - nothing but the fragile memory that the author of this book dedicates to them. A few centuries ago, the person who wrote this word on the wall disappeared from among the living; the word itself disappeared from the wall of the cathedral; perhaps the cathedral itself will soon disappear from the face of the earth. This word gave birth to a real book.

Victor Hugo. From the preface to the book "Notre Dame Cathedral"

With this introduction, a novel begins that has generated so much controversy, discussion, fans, video, animation and musical productions. This article will focus on one of the most famous French musicals, after which the French "comedy musical" gained incredible popularity and gave rise to a whole wave of other musical productions.

« NOTRE DAME DE PARIS is the most successful musical staged in Europe in recent years. Premiere musical"NOTRE DAME DE PARIS", based on the novel by Victor Hugo, took place in Paris on September 18, 1998. The production became a real bestseller, receiving awards for best performance, best song and best selling album. " NOTRE DAME DE PARIS» was listed in Guinness Book of Records as the best-selling musical. More than 7,000,000 French-language albums with the recording of the musical were sold in the world alone. World recognition came to the performers of the main roles in "NOTRE DAME DE PARIS".

The composer (Richard Cocciante) and the creator of the original version (Luc Plamondon) were the authors of such a successful production. The latter is widely known as the lyricist of Celine Dion, as well as the author of the libretto of the famous musical "Starmania". Richard Cochante, composer of music, is incredibly popular not only as a composer, but also as a singer, performing his own works in four languages.

The idea of ​​creating a musical originated with Luc Plamondon. In 1993, he began to search for a plot for a new musical performance in French literature. “I turned to various characters and did not even pay attention to Esmeralda. I headed straight for the letter "K" - and stopped at Quasimodo. It was then that Notre Dame Cathedral became a reality for me,” he recalls. “This is a well-known story that speaks for itself and needs no explanation. That is why a dozen films have appeared on the plot of Victor Hugo's novel, starting from the time of silent films and ending with Disney cartoons. The more I watched various dramatic and ballet interpretations of the novel, the more I became convinced that I was on the right track. Rereading the novel, Plamondon makes sketches for thirty songs.

Then the composer Richard Cochante joins the work. “Richard had some really great tunes that he didn't want to use on his albums. He played me motives, which later became "Dance, my Esmeralda", "Belle", "It's time for cathedrals." They were worthy to enter the musical, and that was their strength,” recalls Luke. We can say that the history of the musical began with the song "Belle".

After a successful premiere NOTRE DAME DE PARIS in Paris, the musical began its journey around the world.

The plot of the musical Notre Dame de Paris

loves Esmeralda who loves Phoebe. He is married to fleur-de-lis, but is infatuated with a gypsy. Frollo witness to all this action, he himself is trapped. Carnal desire, rejected from childhood, breaks out like a volcano in front of a beauty. Gringoire pushes him into "the abyss of conscience." Frollo is even going to kill Phoebus in order to achieve the love of Esmeralda. And it is she who is accused of attempting to kill Phoebus.

Frollo visits her in prison to offer her to give herself to him in exchange for freedom. She refuses. He will take revenge on her.

Quasimodo rescues Esmeralda from prison and closes her in the tower of Notre Dame. Clopin and a gang of vagabonds break into the cathedral to free Esmeralda. Phoebus and his army are tasked with putting down the rebellion. Clopin is killed in the skirmish. Gringoire becomes a voluntary poet, thereby becoming a herald of vagabonds.

A helpless Quasimodo allows Phoebus to take Esmeralda, believing that the latter has come to rescue her. Phoebus, on the contrary, came to announce to Esmeralda that she would be hanged. Quasimodo throws Frollo off the tower notre dame and arrives too late at the place of execution in the Place Greve. He asks the executioner to hand over Esmeralda's body to die with her in the chains of Montfaucon...

About the novel

Victor Hugo is one of the greatest French writers of the 19th century. He was born in 1802 and, of course, all historical events that took place in France at the beginning of the century, influenced his development as a person and as a writer. Most famous works Hugo: Les Misérables, Toilers of the Sea and 1993.

His most popular novel "Notre Dame Cathedral"(NOTRE DAME DE PARIS) was published in February 1831.

The July Revolution of 1830 shook the whole of France. The insurgent people overthrew the power of the Bourbons. The royalist nobles were replaced by representatives of the French bourgeoisie. Undoubtedly, the revolutionary upsurge and the revolution itself can explain the appearance of the largest of all the works of Hugo. The book brought the writer worldwide fame.

The plot, and indeed the whole narrative of the novel, is typically romantic: extraordinary characters acting in extraordinary circumstances, chance encounters, beauty and ugliness coexist side by side, love and hate are intertwined and come into conflict with each other.

The cathedral is the heart of medieval Paris, all the threads are tied here romantic plot. NOTRE DAME, severe, gloomy and beautiful at the same time, like a mirror, reflects all the features of the heroes of the novel.

However, romantic excesses, which today seem a little sham, are only a necessary background in order to show the life of Paris at that time, to raise the theme of "outcasts", the theme of kindness, love and mercy.

This is the main theme in the novel, because only these qualities, according to the author, can save the world.

The writer believed that “every person is born kind, pure, fair and honest… If his heart became cold, it was only because people put out his flame; if his wings are broken and his mind is struck, it is only because people have constrained him in a narrow cage. If he is mutilated and terrible, it is because he was thrown into such a form from which he came out criminal and terrible.. Only love, the transforming power of which is miraculous, is capable of making it “kind, pure, just and honest” again.

This is what the novel "Notre Dame Cathedral" tells about. This is what the heroes of the musical have been singing about for the second decade. NOTRE DAME DE PARIS…

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Liked the article? to always be up to date. Notre Dame de Paris (fr. Notre-Dame de Paris) French-Canadian musical based on the novel by Victor Hugo Notre Dame Cathedral. Musical composer Riccardo Coccante; libretto author Luc Plamondon. The musical debuted in Paris on September 16, 1998. The musical got into the Guinness Book of Records as having the most successful first year of work.

Bruno Pelletier as Gringoire in Notre Dame de Paris

The original version of the musical toured Belgium, France, Canada and Sweden. In the French theater "Mogador" in 2000, the same musical debuted, but with some changes. These changes were followed by the Italian, Russian, Spanish and some other versions of the musical.

That same year, a shortened American version of the musical started in Las Vegas and an English version in London. IN English version almost all the roles were played by the same artists as in the original.
Plot

The gypsy Esmeralda has been under the care of the gypsy king Clopin since the death of her mother. After a gang of vagrants and gypsies tried to sneak into Paris and take refuge in Notre Dame Cathedral, they are chased away by royal soldiers. The captain of the skirmishers, Phoebe de Chateaupe, takes an interest in Esmeralda. But he is already engaged to fourteen-year-old Fleur-de-Lys.

At the festival of jesters, the hunchbacked, crooked and lame bell-ringer of the Quasimodo Cathedral comes to look at Esmeralda, with whom he is in love. For his ugliness, he is elected King of Jesters. His stepfather and mentor, the archdeacon of Notre Dame Cathedral Frollo, runs up to him. He rips off his crown and tells him not to even look in the direction of Esmeralda and accuses her of witchcraft. He shares with Quasimodo a plan to kidnap Esmeralda, with whom he is secretly in love. He wants to lock her in the tower of the Cathedral.

At night, the poet Gringoire wanders after Esmeralda, and becomes a witness to an attempt to kidnap her. But a detachment of Phoebus guarded nearby, and he protects the gypsy. Frollo manages to escape unnoticed no one assumes that he also participated in this. Quasimodo is arrested. Phoebus appoints Esmeralda a date in the tavern "Valley of Love". Frollo hears all this.

Gringoire ends up in the Court of Miracles the abode of vagabonds, thieves, criminals and other similar people. Clopin decides to hang him because he, not being a criminal, went there. He was to be hanged on the condition that none of the girls living there wanted to marry him. Esmeralda agrees to save him. He promised to make her his muse, but Esmeralda is consumed by thoughts of Phoebe.

For attempting to kidnap Esmeralda, Quasimodo was sentenced to be broken on the wheel. Frollo is watching this. When Quasimodo asks for a drink, Esmeralda gives him water. In gratitude, Quasimodo allows her to enter the Cathedral whenever she wants.

Frollo pursues Phoebus and enters the "Valley of Love" with him. Seeing Esmeralda in the same bed with Phoebus, he stabs him with Esmeralda's dagger, which she carried with her all the time, and runs away, leaving Phoebus to die. Esmeralda is accused of this crime. Phoebus is cured and returns to Fleur-de-Lys.

Frollo judges and tortures Esmeralda. He accuses her of witchcraft, prostitution and an attempt on Phoebus. Esmeralda states that she has nothing to do with this. She is sentenced to death by hanging.

An hour before the execution, Frollo descends into the dungeon of the La Sante prison, where Esmeralda is imprisoned. He sets a condition he will let Esmeralda go if she makes love to him. Esmeralda refuses. Frollo tries to rape her.

Clopin and Quasimodo enter the dungeon. Clopin stuns the priest and frees his stepdaughter. Esmeralda hides in Notre Dame Cathedral. The inhabitants of the "Court of Miracles" come there to take Esmeralda. Royal soldiers under the command of Phoebus enter into battle with them. Clopin is killed. The vagabonds are expelled. Frollo gives Esmeralda to Phoebe and the executioner. Quasimodo searches for Esmeralda and instead finds Frollo. He confesses to him that he gave Esmeralda to the executioner because she refused him. Quasimodo kills Frollo and dies himself with Esmeralda's body in his arms.

History of creation

Work on the musical began in 1993, when Plamondon compiled an approximate libretto for 30 songs and showed it to Coccante, with whom he had previously worked and wrote, among other things, the song “Lamour existe encore” for Celine Dion. The composer already had several melodies ready, which he proposed for the musical. Subsequently, they became hits "Belle", "Danse mon Esmeralda" and "Le temps des cathédrales". The most famous song of the musical "Belle" was written first.

8 months before the premiere, a concept album was released - a disc with studio recordings of 16 main songs of the production. All songs were performed by the artists of the musical, with the exception of the parts of Esmeralda: Noa sang them in the studio, and Helen Segara in the musical. Canadian pop stars Daniel Lavoie, Bruno Pelletier, Luc Merville were invited to the production, but leading role Quasimodo was given to the little-known Pierre Garan, although the composer originally wrote the parts of Quasimodo for himself. This role glorified Pierre, who took the pseudonym Garou.

The premiere of the Russian version of the musical took place in Moscow on May 21, 2002. The production was produced by Katerina von Gechmen-Waldeck, Alexander Weinstein and Vladimir Tartakovsky. In 2008, the premiere of the Korean version of the musical took place.

actors

Initial line-up
Noah, then Helen Segara Esmeralda
Daniel Lavoie Frollo
Bruno Pelletier Gringoire
Garou Quasimodo
Patrick Fiori Phoebe de Chateauper
Luc Merville Clopin
Julie Zenatti Fleur-de-Lys

[edit]
London version
Tina Arena, Dannii Minogue Esmeralda
Daniel Lavoie Frollo
Bruno Pelletier Gringoire
Garou, Ayan Piri Quasimodo
Steve Balsamo Phoebus de Chateauper
Luc Merville, Carl Abram Ellis Clopin
Natasha Saint-Pierre Fleur-de-Lys

Mogador
Nadya Belle, Shirel, Maison, Anne Esmeralda
Adrien Deville, Jerome Collet Quasimodo
Michel Pascal, Jerome Collet Frollo
Lauren Bahn, Cyril Nicolas Gringoire
Lauren Bahn, Richard Charest Phoebus de Chateauper
Veronica Antico, Anne Maison, Claire Cappelli Fleur-de-Lys
Roddy Julien, Eddie Soroman Clopin

Russia
Svetlana Svetikova, Teona Dolnikova, Diana Savelyeva, Karina Hovsepyan Esmeralda
Vyacheslav Petkun, Valery Yaremenko, Timur Vedernikov, Andrey Belyavsky, Petr Markin Quasimodo
Alexander Marakulin, Alexander Golubev, Igor Balalaev, Victor Krivonos (participated only in studio recording and rehearsals; did not perform at any concert) Frollo
Vladimir Dybsky, Alexander Postolenko, Pavel Kotov (participated only in studio recording and rehearsals; did not perform at any concert), Andrey Alexandrin Gringoire
Anton Makarsky, Eduard Shulzhevsky, Alexei Sekirin, Maxim Novikov, Mohamed Abdel Fattah Phoebe de Chateauper
Anastasia Stotskaya, Ekaterina Maslovskaya, Yulia Liseeva, Anna Pingina, Anna Nevskaya, Anna Guchenkova, Natalya Gromushkina, Anastasia Chevazhevskaya Fleur-de-Lys
Sergei Li, Victor Burko, Victor Yesin Clopin

Italy
Lola Ponche, Rosalia Misseri, Ilaria Andreini, Leila Martinucci, Chiara di Bari Esmeralda
Gio di Tonno, Luca Maggiore, Fabrizio Voghera, Giordano Gambogi Quasimodo
Vittorio Matteucci, Fabrizio Voghera, Luca Velletri, Christian Gravina Frollo
Matteo Cetti (Italian), Roberto Synagogue, Eron Borelli, Mattia Inverni, Gianluca Perdicaro Gringoire
Graziano Galatone, Alberto Mangia Vinci, Heron Borelli Phoebus de Chateauper
Marco Gverzoni, Aurelio Fierro, Christian Mini Clopin
Claudia DOttavi, Hilaria de Angelis, Chiara di Bari Fleur-de-Lys

Spain
Thais Siurana Esmeralda
Albert Martinez Quasimodo
Enrique Sequero Frollo
Daniel Angles Gringoire
Lisadro Phoebe de Chateaupe
Paco Arroyo Clopin
Elvira Prado Fleur-de-Lys

The songs in this section will be written according to the model:

Original title/Mogadorian title (interlinear translation of the title) official title in Russian

Note: in all versions of the musical, except for the original, the songs of the second act are numbered 8 and 9; 10 and 11 have been swapped.

Act one
Ouverture (Opening) Overture
Le Temps Des CathГ©drales (The Time of the Cathedrals) The Time of the Cathedrals
Les Sans-Papiers (People without papers) Tramps
Intervention de Frollo (Frollo's Intervention) Frollo's Intervention
BohГ©mienne (Gypsy) Daughter of Gypsies
Esmeralda Tu Sais (Do you know, Esmeralda) Esmeralda, understand
Ces Diamants-LГ (These diamonds) My love
La FÄte des Fous (Festival of Jesters) Ball of Jesters
Le Pape des Fous (The Pope of Jesters) King of Jesters
La SorciГЁre (Witch) Sorceress
LEnfant TrouvГ© (Foundling) Foundling
Les Portes de Paris (Gate of Paris) Paris
Tentative dEnlГЁvement (Abduction Attempted) Failed Abduction
La Cour des Miracles (Court of Miracles) Court of Miracles
Le Mot Phoebus (The Word "Phoebus") Name Phoebus
Beau Comme Le Soleil (Beautiful as the sun) The Sun of Life
DГ©chirГ© (Broken) What should I do?
Anarkia (Anarkia) Anarchy
ГЂ Boire (Drink) Water!
Belle (Beauty) Belle
Ma Maison CEst Ta Maison (My Home Your Home) My Notre Dame
Ave Maria PaGЇen (Ave Maria in pagan) Ave Maria
Je Sens Ma Vie Qui Bascule/Si tu pouvais voir en moi (I feel like my life is going downhill/If you could look into me) If only she could see
Tu Vas Me DГ©truire (You will destroy me) You are my death
LOmbre (Shadow) Shadow
Le Val dAmour (Valley of Love) Shelter of Love
La VoluptГ© (Enjoyment) Date
FatalitГ© (Rock) Will of Fate

Act two
Florence (Florence) Everything will have its time
Les Cloches (The Bells) The Bells
OG# Est-Elle? (Where is she?) Where is she?
Les Oiseaux QuOn Met En Cage (Caged Birds) Poor Birds in Captivity
CondamnГ©s (Condemned) Outcasts
Le ProcГЁs (Court) Court
La Torture (Torture) Torture
Phoebus (Phoebus) Oh Phoebus!
ГЉtre PrГЄtre Et Aimer Une Femme (To be a priest and love a woman) My fault
La Monture (The Horse) (the word also has an allegorical meaning: "passionate lover") Swear to me
Je Reviens Vers Toi (I'm coming back to you) If you can, forgive
Visite de Frollo Г Esmeralda (Frollo's visit to Esmeralda) Frollo comes to Esmeralda
Un Matin Tu Dansais (You danced one morning) Frollo's confession
LibГ©rГ©s (Free) Come out!
Lune (Moon) Moon
Je Te Laisse Un Sifflet (I give you a whistle) If anything, call
Dieu Que Le Monde Est Injuste (God, how the world is unfair) Good God, why?
Vivre (Live) Live
LAttaque De Notre-Dame (Assault on Notre Dame) Assault on Notre Dame
DГ©portГ©s (Sent out) Submit!
Mon MaГ®tre Mon Sauveur (My master, my savior) My proud master
Donnez-La Moi (Give it to me) Give it to me!
Danse Mon Esmeralda (Dance, my Esmeralda) Sing to me, Esmeralda
Le Temps Des CathГ©drales (The Time of the Cathedrals) It's time for the cathedrals

Interesting Facts
famous song from this musical, Belle, was also performed in our country by the now disbanded group Smash !!. With her, they won first place at the festival " New wave» 2002 in Jurmala.
The song "Belle" stayed in the French charts at number 1 for 33 weeks and was eventually recognized in France as the best song of the fiftieth anniversary.
The Russian performer of the role of Esmeralda T. Dolnikova is the only musical performer in the world who has received a high award, the Golden Mask theater award.
In Russia, a special tour version of the musical is currently touring the regions, with simplified scenery. Artistic director Alexander Marakulin, performer of the role of Frollo.

Tragedy throughout France. The spire, clock and roof of the building collapsed as a result of the fire. Firefighters managed to save both bell towers of the cathedral, the flames did not affect the main shrines: the crown of thorns, the tunic of St. Louis; saved several paintings. The source of ignition, according to firefighters, was scaffolding erected in the attic of the cathedral. Recall that the restoration work began this spring, it was planned to complete the work by 2022. The fire started at 18:50 local time on April 15, according to April 16, the fire was extinguished. One firefighter was injured during the rescue operation.

The results of the fire

The President of France and his wife arrived on the scene and promised to completely restore the relic, with the assistance of "the best talents of our time." There is hope for a complete restoration, since the cathedral has been thoroughly studied, ancient drawings have been preserved.

According to preliminary estimates, the damage will cost hundreds of millions of euros. Today, the Heritage Foundation announced the launch of a national campaign to raise funds for the restoration of the cathedral, according to the latest data, 240 people donated more than 6,000 euros to the Foundation.

According to preliminary estimates, the restoration of the building may take at least 10 years.

At the moment, all residents have been evacuated from the island of Cite, for safety reasons, navigation along the Seine in the vicinity of the island is prohibited.

The Paris prosecutor's office is investigating unintentional damage during the fire.

Notre Dame Cathedral - Notre-Dame de Paris

Each country has objects - associations. In Paris, in my opinion, there are two of them - and Notre Dame Cathedral. To visit Paris and not see (at least!) these two masterpieces of architectural thought is a real crime.

More than 14 million tourists annually visit this place, which holds unsolved mysteries and mystical revelations.

A place of "incredible power" - this is what the Parisian guides call the cathedral, who acquaint people with its history and architecture. And legends add a mystical spirit to the object.

Photos of the cathedral

• Notre Dame is built on the site where four different churches stood in ancient times: the Christian parish, the Merovingian basilica, the Carolingian temple and the Romanesque Cathedral. By the way, it was the ruins of the last cathedral that served as the foundation for the current one.
• Construction lasted 182 years (1163-1345). After 19 years of construction work, the main altar appeared, which was immediately consecrated, after another 14 years, the construction of the nave was completed. Then the construction continued on the territory of the central (western) facade, which is richly decorated with sculptures and bas-reliefs.
• The western facade and two towers took 45 years to build (1200-1245). The different heights of the towers are explained by the fact that many architects worked on the construction, who mixed two styles - Romanesque and Gothic.
• In the summer of 1239, King Louis IX brought into the temple the main shrine and relic - the Crown of Thorns.
• The gargoyles on top of Notre Dame Cathedral used to be used as drainpipes - now they are one of the decorations of the building.
• Instead of the usual wall paintings depicting saints, there are high stained-glass windows, which are both a decoration of the cathedral and a source of light. Stained-glass windows separated the rooms, since at the end of construction, not a single wall was provided in the cathedral. Instead of walls, there were columns and arches.
• After the completion of construction, the cathedral was the main spiritual center of France - royal weddings, coronations, funerals and other important events throughout the country were held here. Despite the important role of the cathedral in the life of the country, its walls also received commoners who were helped.
• The rich trusted the walls of the cathedral and brought all their treasures for safekeeping. It was in this way that a treasury was formed within the walls of the temple.
• During French Revolution the Jacobins wanted to destroy the cathedral, but the inhabitants managed to save it - they collected money in support of the rebels and transferred them to the new government. Despite the agreement, the revolutionaries did not fully keep their promise - the bells were melted down into cannons, the tombstones into bullets, the sculptures of the Jewish kings were beheaded. The cathedral building was used as a wine warehouse - it was during this period that Notre Dame lost its significance. The Catholic church was returned to the clergy only in 1802.
• Thanks to famous novel Victor Hugo's "Notre Dame Cathedral" (1831), where the writer set out to awaken the people's love for French architecture, in 1841 the restoration of the cathedral began. On the upper platform in front of the towers appeared famous gallery chimeras. The sculptors created images of mythical creatures that embodied the character of a person and the variety of his moods. The restoration lasted 23 years, during which the restorers were able to replace all the broken sculptures, erect a high spire, and restore stained glass windows. The buildings that adjoined the cathedral were removed, thanks to which a square appeared in front of the main entrance.
• In 2013, in honor of the 850th anniversary of the cathedral, new bells were cast, in the amount of 9 units. The largest church organ in France, which appeared here at the beginning of the 15th century, was also reconstructed. Now the instrument is fully computerized, while the body is made in the style of Louis XVI.
• Today, Notre Dame de Paris is a functioning church: worship services are constantly held here, during which modern video effects are used. Bells can be heard daily at 8:00 and at 19:00.
• Along with the faithful, tourists are also allowed into the cathedral. All visitors have a unique opportunity to view the sacred relics, as well as valuable things that have accumulated in the cathedral over its long history.

• (price: 25.00 €, 3 hours)
• (price: 15.00 €, 1 hour)
• (price: 35.00 €, 2.5 hours)

Attractions

Here you will find more detailed information about the objects of the cathedral. This information will be useful for general information.

Apse - Chevet

From the Tournelle embankment, you can see the apse with its retaining arches and gray-green vault. It is located in the eastern part, symbolizes the sunrise of the Resurrection.

Traditionally, the apse side serves to collect internal rhythmic flows and the highest divine energy of the cosmos.

Due to the special design, the impression of the presence of God among people is created. After the restoration of the cathedral, the arches were replaced according to the design of Jean Ravi. Today, the size of the arches reaches 15 meters.

From the south side you can see what the cathedral looked like in the 19th century. Previously, here was the palace of the archbishop, which was demolished along with the treasury and sacristy during the riots of 1831. The palace was decided not to be restored.

Chapel of the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher - Chapelle des Chevaliers du Saint-Sépulcre

In the heart of the cathedral is the Chapel of the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher, which was officially opened on March 6, 2009. The ceremony was presided over by Monsignor Toile, Patriarch of Latin of Jerusalem. The restoration of the chapel took place in accordance with the wishes of Cardinal Lustiger and his successor, Cardinal Vin-Trois.

Within these walls, in a modern red glass reliquary, lies the most precious treasure - the crown of thorns of Christ, wrapped in a purple mantle. The sacred crown is a bundle of intertwined branches of thorns without thorns, which in ancient times were dismantled in various temples and monasteries, with additionally woven into it several branches of the aromatic jujube plant.

It is enclosed in a crystal ring with a gold frame. It is impossible to say with certainty that the crown of Christ is genuine, but the first mention of it is documented in the 4th century.

Most of the time, the holy crown is in a special vault and is not displayed. For the worship of believers, it is solemnly carried out every Friday during Great Lent and on Good Friday. The ceremony is attended by the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher.

Behind the reliquary, on the altar, there is a statue of Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows, who holds in her hands nails and a crown that wounded her son's legs, arms and head.

Chapel of the Most Holy Gifts - Chapelle du Saint-Sacrement

Next to the Chapel of the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher, in the axis of the nave, there is another unusual chapel. It is called the Chapel of the Most Holy Gifts and is dedicated to the mother of Jesus Christ, which is often found in the churches of the Michelangelo era.

Its construction began in 1296 at the initiative of the Bishop of Paris, Simon Matthias de Boucher. This chapel is also known as Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows. It serves for meditation and sacred prayers of the sacred sacrament.

On the right wall you can see an old fresco of the 14th century, which depicts a girl receiving her soul in the presence of Saint Denis and Saint Nicaise, who is the patron saint of the chapel.

On the altar of the chapel, crowned with a statue of the Virgin Mary, the Holy Gifts are displayed throughout the day, that is, the bread that has become the body of Christ, symbolizing the presence of God himself. Adoration or worship of the Holy Gifts is widespread in the traditions of the Catholic Church. People come here singly or in groups, in order to silently contemplate God, just to be in front of him, to mentally talk to him in peace and quiet, having renounced everyday fuss.

Pieta

In the depths of the temple, in the most prominent place of the central nave, there is an altar. Behind him at a short distance appears the famous "Pieta" - a sculptural composition of the creation of Nicolas Coust. At its foot is a carved plinth made by Francois Girardon.

In the center is the Virgin Mary holding her dead son in her arms, who had just been taken down from the cross. The gaze of the Mother of God is turned not to the lifeless body of Jesus, but to heaven. Her face expresses grief and, at the same time, hope for the resurrection of Christ, promised to her from above. On the sides of the Virgin Mary are statues of two monarchs: the right one - Louis XIII (sculptor Nicolas Coust) and the left one - Louis XIV (sculptor Antoine Cuazevaux).

At the same time, King Louis XIII, as it were, offers the mother of Christ his crown and scepter, and his son Louis XIV bowed in prayer. This unusual ensemble is surrounded by six bronze angels holding symbols of the Passion of Christ in their hands: a crown of thorns, nails, a sponge with vinegar, a scourge, a pike and an INRI tablet (Jesus the Nazarene King of the Jews).

The prehistory of the appearance of the statues also deserves attention. Passionately desiring the long-awaited birth of his future heir, Louis XIII vowed to embellish the altar and the Pieta if the Lord would send him a son. His dream came true in 1638 with the birth of Louis XIV, but 5 years later the king died without fulfilling his promise to the end. His successor managed to realize his father's will only 60 years later, when, as a result of a large-scale reconstruction, the Gothic style was replaced by the Baroque.

Ambulatory - Déambulatoire

In church terminology, an "ambulatory" is a semicircular detour along the altar apse, which is the completion of the central nave. It looks like a continuation of the side aisles, smoothly passing into each other.

In Notre Dame Cathedral, the double ambulatory is separated by a colonnade and has access to the outer apse chapels (chapels). There are five of them in total, and they radiate around the altar ledge, forming a “crown of chapels”. All of them are dedicated to various saints and are decorated with beautiful sculptures and stained glass windows, which are real works of art. They also contain mausoleums, tombs and tombstones of many prominent religious figures and other famous personalities. For example, near the eastern wall of the initial apse chapel dedicated to Saint Guillaume (William), there is the mausoleum of Count Henri Claude d'Harcourt (1704-1769), who served as a lieutenant general in the royal army. The sculptural composition depicts the late count, who, having heard the cry of his kneeling wife at his coffin, rises and, freeing himself from the shroud, stretches out his hands to his devoted wife.

But behind the back of the deceased stands Death herself with an hourglass in her hand, showing the countess that her hour has come. The whole image of the countess expresses a passionate desire to immediately reunite with her beloved husband.

This architectural ensemble was built at the end of the 13th - beginning of the 14th centuries. During a full-scale restoration, which was led in the 19th century by the famous Parisian architect Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc, the entire ambulatory space was decorated using the original wall paintings, recreated with amazing historical accuracy. That is why, an unusually inspired and enthusiastic atmosphere reigns here.

Altar - Choeur

In the middle of the central nave is an unusual medieval altar. On both sides of it are carved scenes, imprinted in stone, called the altar barrier. It appeared in the cathedral in the 14th century, when the master, presumably Jean Ravi, carved an elegant partition from stone, isolating the choir (choirs) from the nave. Scenes from the gospel in sculptural performance are successively depicted on the barrier. All paintings are made in polychrome colors. In the middle of the 19th century, restoration work was also carried out here under the leadership of Viollet-le-Duc, then the color scheme was updated.

Behind the altar, on a considerable elevation, there are long lancet windows lined with colored stained-glass windows of the 19th century, replacing the original lost mosaics of the 13th century.

The reconstruction of the choirs was conceived under Louis XIII, as a tribute to the Virgin Mary, who gave France the long-awaited heir Louis XIV in 1638. From this period, every year on August 15, on the Assumption - the main church holiday dedicated to Mary - the procession solemnly floats through the streets of Paris, as a reminder of the "royal vow". Five years after the birth of his son, Louis XIII, on his deathbed, bequeathed to his successor to complete all the renovations of the altar.

Restoration work was completed in 1723. It took three quarters of a century. The upper rows were then crowned with wooden sculptures that depicted scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary.

Northern part of the barrier - Clôture du choeur nord

The altar barrier, created at the end of the 13th century, covers 14 scenes from the Bible, clearly telling about the birth and life of Jesus Christ, with the exception of the tragic events that happened after the Last Supper - the imprisonment, trial, scourging and crucifixion of Christ. Biblical scenes are depicted sequentially.

The storyline begins with the fact that the immaculate Virgin Mary meets the righteous Elizabeth, then follows the Nativity of Christ and the good news to the shepherds, the Magi bring their gifts. Next, the slaughter of babies and the flight to Egypt are depicted.

Such scenes from the life of Christ are chosen as the meeting of the baby Jesus with the wise old man Simeon in the temple of Jerusalem, stories about how young Jesus was in the temple among the wise men and among the teachers of the Jews, Baptism and wedding in Cana of Galilee. Final episodes - the entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, The Last Supper and the washing of the disciples' feet in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Over the course of half a century, three masters worked on these sculptural compositions - Pierre de Chelle, Jean Ravi and Jean Le Buteiler. Most of the scenes have a reliable temporal sequence verified from the four gospels. The color scheme of the altar barrier was updated during the restoration of the 19th century.

The southern part of the barrier - Clôture du choeur sud

The altar barrier dates from the beginning of the 14th century. It is composed of nine biblical scenes describing the appearance of Jesus Christ after the Resurrection from the dead. Every biblical story on the south side it is distinctly separated from the next by a vertical line.

• Meeting of Christ and Mary Magdalene.
• Appearance of Christ to the myrrh-bearing women.
• The meeting of Christ with the apostles John and Peter.
• Meeting of Christ with the disciples on the road to Emmaus.
• The Appearance of Christ to the Eleven Apostles at the Supper.
• Appearance of Christ to the Apostle Thomas.

• The meeting of Christ with the disciples on the lake of Tiberias.
• The appearance of Christ to the eleven apostles on a mountain in Galilee.
• The meeting of Christ with the apostles in Jerusalem is the last appearance, culminating in the ascension of Christ to heaven.

From 1300 to 1350, Pierre de Chelles, Jean Ravi and Jean Le Buteilaire worked on the creation of this unique sculptural group. The color scheme was subsequently updated by Viollet-le-Duc's restorers in the 19th century.

Treasury - Tresor

The temple treasury is located in a small building - an extension. Here is an interesting collection of ancient gold and silver items, church utensils, priests' clothes, ancient manuscripts and other sacred relics from the 13th to the 21st centuries. But of particular value are the crown of thorns of Jesus Christ and the Palatine cross-reliquary, where a nail is stored under glass in the lower part, and seven particles of the Life-Giving Cross in the upper part. golden plaque on Greek says that originally these relics belonged to the Byzantine emperor of the XII century, Michael Comnenus.

Some treasures are brought out for display to the public on the first Friday of every month, every Friday of Great Lent and Holy Week.

The collection of relics of Notre Dame Cathedral began to be collected from its very inception, and by the end of the 18th century, the temple treasury was considered one of the most magnificent in Europe. During the French Revolution, part of the treasure was looted, but with the dawn of the Concordat, the collection was restored again and replenished with relics from the Sainte-Chapelle treasury.

Once again, the vault was damaged during the riots of 1830 and 1831, and was restored already in the middle of the 19th century according to the project of Viollet-le Duc. But, despite all the difficulties, the treasury retained its original purpose for storing valuable items used in the liturgy.

Red door - Porte Rouge

This modest doorway on the north side of the choir is called the "Red Door" because of the bright color of its doors. It was erected under the direction of the architect Pierre de Montreuil in the second half of the 13th century and was used as a direct passage between the monastery and the cathedral. The red door connected the monastery, where the canons and choristers lived, with Notre Dame de Paris. In 2012, these gates were restored at the initiative of the Île-de-France Society for the Preservation of Historical Monuments.

On the tympanum above the door is a scene of Christ blessing the Virgin Mary, while an angel places the royal crown on her head. The upper part depicts Saint-Marcel, Bishop of Paris in the 5th century. His remains are considered one of the most precious shrines of the cathedral and rest on top of the cathedral choirs in full view of all parishioners.

On the left side, above the doorway, there is a sculptural panel depicting how the bishop conducts the ceremony of baptism and Holy Communion - the two most important sacraments for Christians of all denominations. On the right side, he sits on the pulpit, preaching. His face expresses spiritual triumph over the devil.

Notre Dame Statue - Vierge à l'Enfant "Notre Dame de Paris"

At the southeast pillar of the transept or transverse nave, to the right of the main altar, you can see the statue of the Virgin Mary with the baby in her arms. She is called Notre Dame of Paris. The statue was brought in the 19th century from the chapel of Saint-Aignan on the Ile de la Cité.

This is the most famous and revered sculpture of the Virgin Mary of the 27 similar statues presented at Notre Dame. The period of its creation refers to the XIV century. Installed in 1855 instead of the ancient sculpture of the miraculous Black Virgin, which disappeared without a trace during the years of the revolution.

A bluish light emanates from the sculpture, and a large number of white lilies, with which the Virgin Mary is adorned, exude an amazing aroma. All this is arranged as a sign of the deepest worship.

Transept - Transept

In church architecture, the "transept" is the name of the transverse nave in churches built in the form of a cross or basilica, which crosses the central longitudinal nave at a right angle. The extreme borders of the transept form apses extending beyond the main part of the building, the transept protrudes 2 meters. They coincide in height with the main nave, but the transept differs in that it consists of four tiers.

The transept was completed by 1258. Significant sights are located here, such as the south and north stained-glass rose window, the statue of Notre Dame and Child, the portal of St. Stephen and the Red Gate portal, as well as the main altar. In one of the branches of the transept, you can admire two female figures of the patron saints of France - Saint Joan of Arc and Saint Teresa - the patroness of the baby Jesus, as well as the statue of Saint Dionysius by Nicolas Coust. Many statues were recreated already in the 19th century.

Near the statue of the Virgin Mary there is a tablet that says that in this cathedral famous trial acquitted Joan of Arc. And a small bronze plate in the floor informs that the famous poet Paul Claudel adopted the Catholic faith here in 1886.

South rose window - Rose sud

On the south facade of the transept there is a huge stained-glass window in the shape of a rose, the diameter of which is 13 meters. It was originally installed in the 13th century. Some part of the stained-glass window has survived to this day in its original form, the rest of the parts were replaced during the restoration work carried out in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The rosette itself consists of 84 stained-glass fragments, which are laid out in the form of four circles: 24 medallions, 12 medallions, 4-lobed and 3-lobed panels. It is known that during the reconstruction, which took place in the 19th century, Viollet-le-Duc turned the southern rosette by 15 degrees in order to fix it on a solid vertical axis. For this reason, many fragments are not in their original places, and now it is not easy to determine which part of the window was originally occupied by a particular scene.

The stained glass rose depicts Jesus Christ, surrounded by the apostles and other saints revered in France, martyrs and wise virgins.

In the fourth circle, twenty angels are depicted on different fragments holding wreaths, candles and censers in their hands, as well as events from the New and Old Testaments are depicted.

The third circle invites us to get acquainted with nine scenes from the life of St. Matthew, which date back to the last quarter of the 12th century and have been perfectly preserved to this day.

In the central medallion, the original stained-glass fragment was not preserved, so Viollet-le-Duc replaced it with an image of the second coming of Christ: a sword was put into the mouth of the Savior, symbolizing the Word of God, which is intended to separate truth from falsehood. At the feet of Christ lies the Book of Life, and around it are the symbols of the four evangelists: an angel, an eagle, a lion, a calf.

The two lower corner elements tell of the descent into Hell and the resurrection of Christ.

The rose rests on a peculiar belt of 16 lancet stained-glass windows, together with which the total height of the stained-glass window reaches 19 meters. Prophets are depicted on these narrow plates. It was created in 1861 by the artist Alfred Gerent under the direction of Viollet-le-Duc.

Portal of Saint Stephen - Portail Saint-Etienne

On the south side of the transept, facing the embankment of the Seine towards the Latin Quarter, there is a portal that was consecrated in the name of the martyr Saint Stephen. It was built in the 13th century by the architects Jean de Chell and Pierre de Montreuil. In the past, this passage led to the residence of the bishop, the successor of the holy martyr Denis.

The main decoration of the portal is a tympanum, on which episodes of the life and martyrdom of St. Stephen are depicted in stone, as well as scenes from the everyday life of students at the University of Paris. Saint Stephen was the patron saint of the first Parisian cathedral.

Looking at the sculptural composition from right to left and up, you can see how St. Stephen preached to the Jewish authorities and people, and subsequently appeared before the court, was stoned to death, buried and blessed by Christ. The scene in which two clergymen carry a prayer book and consecrated water after the traditional service is noteworthy. This serves as proof that the same holy traditions are observed over time.

North rose window - Rose nord

On the left side of the main altar, on the northern facade of the transept, there is an amazingly beautiful stained glass rose window. It can be called a true masterpiece of high Gothic of the XIII century. Unlike the southern rosette, this stained-glass window has been preserved almost intact, since 85% of the mosaic is original work art of medieval masters.

The northern rose window is located at a height of 21 meters, its diameter is 13 meters. The plot composition depicts the Mother of God with a baby surrounded by characters from the Old Testament. In the central part of the stained glass rosette is placed the Virgin Mary with the newborn Jesus in her arms, and around her are medallions with images of judges, prophets, kings and high priests.

The predominance of lilac and violet shades in the color palette of the mosaic elements symbolizes a long, anxious night in anticipation of the birth of the Messiah.

The composition of the northern rosette is in a kind of movement: stained glass fragments are not arranged along strict vertical and horizontal lines, thus creating the image of a spinning wheel. Illuminated by the rays of the sun, the rose window of the north transept illuminates the dark walls of the nave with bright colors, filling the interior of the temple with divine light.

Portal of the Red Gate - Portail du Cloître

The portal on the north side of the transept is called the Red Gate. Previously, he served as a passage to the monastery, located next to the Notre Dame Cathedral.

The central pillar of the portal depicts the Virgin Mother, a genuine statue of the 13th century. She was here initially from the moment of her creation, but the baby, unfortunately, was destroyed. Reminiscent of the famous statue of Notre Dame of Paris of the XIV century, installed inside the cathedral, the Virgin of the portal is still more regal and majestic.

On the tympanum above the gate there is a sculptural scene of the coronation of Mary in the presence of King Louis IX Saint and Queen Margaret of Provence. A little higher are scenes from the childhood of Jesus Christ: the Nativity, his appearance in the temple, the killing of babies and the flight to Egypt.

The archivolts show episodes of miracles that happened to Saints Theophilus and Marcel. In one of the scenes, Saint Marcel extracts the devil in the form of a dragon from the body of a dead sinner. The other shows the divine power of Mary, contained in her son-savior. The story of how Theophilus, having sold his soul to the devil in order to secure the place of the bishop's successor, is impressive, subsequently repented and began to pray to the Virgin. And she broke this agreement, saving Theophilus from the devil's embrace. In the uppermost part above the portal, a bishop is depicted telling a story for the edification of believers.

Separate parts of the original statues that adorned these gates - figures of the Magi and virtues - are exhibited in the Cluny Museum.

Main altar - Autel principal

At the entrance to the choirs there is a raised liturgical platform with a modern bronze altar of work placed on it. French sculptors Jean and Sebastian Touré. Its consecration took place in 1989.

Following the model of the cathedral in Chartres, on the sides of the main altar are the figures of the four biblical prophets - Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel.

In front are the four evangelists - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. As conceived by the creators, this sculptural group symbolizes the connection between the Old and New Testaments.

Since the Second Council in the Vatican, Mass has been celebrated near the entrance to the choir, with the priest facing the congregation, as the Pope always did in St. Peter's Church in Rome.

Side naves - Bas-côtés

Notre Dame Cathedral, in the architectural sense, is a basilica with galleries and double side naves, which are divided in half by longitudinal rows of giant columns. Such additional rows of pillars turn a three-aisled basilica into a five-aisled one. This feature makes the cathedral a much more valuable architectural monument. In the Middle Ages, Gothic cathedrals with double side naves were not built often; tapestries were simply hung in the openings of the arcades.

On the sides of the naves there are seven chapels, going from the fourth to the tenth span. These chapels contain paintings and sculptures on religious themes, which were created to order by the best masters of France. They are presented to the cathedral every year on the first day of May, following a centuries-old tradition associated with Parisian goldsmiths. And in one of the chapels you can see a historical model that clearly demonstrates the progress of the construction of Notre Dame Cathedral.

Nave - Nef

The central nave is an elongated room of ten spans, bounded on both longitudinal sides by a row of columns separating it from the side aisles. The vaults of the nave rise to a height of 33 meters, and its width is 12 meters.

The height of the nave of Notre Dame Cathedral has three levels:

• In the lower tier there are round, polished columns with capitals in the form of skillful wreaths of acanthus leaves.
• In the second tier there are arched openings separated from each other by thin columns.
• On both sides of the third tier, rows of elongated lancet windows lined up, necessary for the penetration of daylight.

Thanks to this, the ceiling, built in the form of a six-petalled stone vault, is clearly visible.

The interior space of the nave seems to be much larger than in an ordinary parish church. The creators of the cathedral, thereby, tried to recreate the image of heavenly Jerusalem, which is described in detail in the Bible. The architectural elements of the Gothic style add refinement and grace to the interior, creating a feeling of touching the heavens, which was not always inherent in the Romanesque architecture of the earlier period.

On both sides of the nave, carved wooden benches have been preserved in the choirs. early XVII I century, which depict scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary. They were made specially, as a tribute, in the name of the royal vow of Louis XIII.

Every day, a large number of parishioners gather here for services. A mysterious twilight reigns inside the cathedral. In the course of a large-scale restoration, for better lighting, new windows were additionally made in the side walls of the nave.

Grand Organ - Grand orgue

Under the western rose window is the famous organ of Notre Dame Cathedral. It is not only the largest organ in France, but also one of the largest musical instruments worldwide. Today the organ consists of 109 registers and about 7800 pipes.

The first organ was installed in the cathedral in 1402. A new case was specially designed for him in gothic style. Since this tool could not completely fill the entire vast space of the cathedral, in 1730 Francois-Henri Clicquot completed its completion. At the same time, the organ acquired its current body in the style of Louis XVI. In the 1860s, the famous 19th-century French organ builder Aristide Cavaillé-Colle made a complete reconstruction of it, and the baroque instrument received an unusual romantic sound. In the future, the large organ was subjected to various restructurings and replacements several times, but in 1992 the control of the instrument was computerized, and a fiber optic cable was connected to it.

Many famous names have accompanied this organ over the centuries, among them Perotina, the inventor of polyphonic music in the thirteenth century, Campra, Daquin, Armand-Louis Couperin, César Franck, Camille Saint-Saëns, and more recently Louis Vierna and Pierre Cochereau. The position of titular organist of Notre Dame Cathedral is considered one of the most prestigious in France.

You can listen to the sound of a large organ absolutely free of charge every week during Sunday mass.

West Rose Window - Rose ouest

The west rose window is the central stained glass window in Notre Dame de Paris. It was created in 1220 and is the oldest rosette in the cathedral. The stained glass rose appears huge, but its diameter is only 9.6 meters, making this mosaic the smallest of the cathedral's three rosettes.

Harmoniously located in the center of the western facade, it consists of three circles around a central medallion depicting the Mother of God and the baby Jesus. In the first belt from the center there are twelve "minor" prophets, followed by 12 agricultural works by seasons, which correspond to 12 signs of the zodiac.

In the upper circle on the medallions it is shown how the twelve virtues in the form of warriors armed with spears oppose the twelve vices.

To this day, most of the original fragments of the mosaic of the west window have not survived, and the stained glass window itself was almost completely changed by Viollet-le-Duc in the 19th century. It is also impossible to fully consider the rosette on the window, since it is partially covered by a large organ.

West Façade - Façade occidentale

The construction of this facade began under Bishop Ed de Sully in 1200, the third architect to work on the construction of the cathedral. This work was continued by his successors, in particular, Guillaume d'Auvergne, and after 1220, the construction was continued by the fourth architect. The north tower was completed in 1240 and the south tower in 1250.

The western facade is the epitome of grandeur, simplicity and harmony. Its strength and power is based on the relationship between vertical and horizontal lines. Four powerful buttresses rush to the tops of the towers, raising them to heaven. Their symbolic meaning that this temple is dedicated to God. And two wide horizontal stripes seem to return the building back to our mortal earth, being proof that this cathedral also belongs to people.

The dimensions of the western facade are also impressive: 41 meters wide, 43 meters to the base of the towers, 63 meters to the top of the towers.

In the center, next to the Gallery of the Virgin, there is a large rose with a diameter of 9.6 meters, created in 1225, which forms a halo above the head of the statue of the Virgin and Child, which is surrounded by two angels. On both sides of the stone rose are statues of Adam and Eve, which remind us of original sin. They were placed here at the initiative of Viollet-le-Duc in the 19th century.

Under the balustrade is a wide horizontal frieze called the Gallery of the Kings. Here are 28 figures of the Jewish kings, the forefathers of Christ. The height of each figure is more than three meters. This sculptural composition indicates that Mary was a mortal woman, a representative of the human race, and gave birth to Jesus, who was both man and God. During the revolution of 1793, the stone figures were decapitated, so the restorers of the 19th century had to restore them. Most of the original surviving heads of the kings are now on display in the medieval Cluny Museum.

On the lower level of the facade there are three large portals, which differ significantly from each other. The central portal is known as the Doomsday Portal and is taller and wider than the others. To the right of it is the Portal of St. Anne, and to the left is the Portal of the Holy Virgin. The doors of the gates are decorated with an amazing pattern of wrought iron, and the facade of the portals is decorated with many characters. There are 4 statues on the buttresses: on the south side - the figure of the deacon of St. Stephen, on the north side - the bishop of Saint-Denis, and on the sides of the central portal there are two allegories - a synagogue and a church.

Portal of St. Anne - Portail Sainte-Anne

The southern aisle on the right side of the western façade is called the Portal of Saint Anne, she was the mother of the Virgin Mary. It belongs to the XIII century and is the earliest among other portals.

On the tympanum, in its upper part, Madonna Maesta is depicted, seated on a throne under a canopy. On opposite sides of it were the angels and the builders of the temple - Bishop Maurice de Sully and the kneeling King Louis VII. These statues were created for the church of St. Mary, which previously stood on the site of the cathedral, and then they were transferred to the portal. The lower part of the tympanum depicts scenes from the lives of Joachim and Anna.

On the central pillar of the portal between the doors is a statue of Saint Marcel, bishop of Paris in the 5th century. Saint Marcel was the forerunner of Saint Genevieve. These two figures before the revolution were very revered among the faithful Parisians. They became famous for their bold, inventive and effective works aimed at charity. In addition, like all true fighters for justice, they were highly spiritual personalities, sacredly observing all the sacraments and prayers.

Portal of the Last Judgment - Portail du Jugement

This portal was erected in 1220-1230. It is located in the center of the western facade, striking with its magnificent sculptural decoration. Here is the Last Judgment as it is described in the Gospel of Matthew.

In the center of the tympanum is depicted Christ sitting on a throne in glory, on both sides of him are angels with instruments of the Passion and kneeling figures of John the Baptist and the Virgin Mary, who pray for sinners. Under the figure of Christ is depicted a heavenly city - New Jerusalem. To the right of him are the figures of the righteous, headed by the Archangel Michael with scales for human souls in their hands. On the other side, devils take sinners to Hell. The Resurrection scene is shown at the very bottom of the tympanum.

The archivolts depict a variety of saints, women and men, who make up the hierarchy of the Powers of Heaven. On the side pilasters at the gates themselves there are figurines of virgins, five on each side, personifying the "Parable of the Ten Virgins".

On the pilaster that divides the portal into two gates, there is another statue of Christ. He is surrounded by twelve apostles, six on each side. At their foot, on the base of the portal, virtues and vices are represented in small medallions.

Many of the statues that adorned the Portal of the Last Judgment were destroyed during the revolution and subsequently recreated by Viollet-le-Duc, who restored the western façade to its original appearance.

Portal of the Virgin - Portail de la Vierge

The northern portal on the left side of the western façade of Notre Dame Cathedral is called the Portal of the Holy Virgin. It is decorated with statues from the 12th-13th centuries.

On the central pilaster is the figure of the Madonna and Child. The tympanum depicts scenes of the Assumption and Coronation of the Virgin Mary.
On one of the sculptural compositions, you can see how the completion of Mary's life on earth took place. The term "dormition" in the Christian dictionary means death. The dead will fall asleep, but on the Last Day Christ will awaken them for the general resurrection, just as the Lord resurrected him on Easter morning. Symbolizing the connection with the Old Testament, the twelve apostles settled down at the deathbed of Mary, who laid the Ark of the Covenant, where the tablets of the Covenant are located, which serve as a type of the Holy Virgin, in whom the word became flesh.

Another storyline depicts the scene of the coronation of the Virgin after her resurrection into heaven. She solemnly sits on the royal throne, and the son Jesus blesses her, while the angel places the crown on the head of Mary.

Allegorical figures of twelve months are placed on the side pilasters, various saints and angels are placed on the archivolts.

Legends of Notre Dame Cathedral

For many, Notre Dame is a universal reference book of esotericism. And there is nothing surprising in the fact that the majestic building, which has a long history, like in a shroud, is wrapped in countless legends.

The legend of the blacksmith

The legends of the famous cathedral meet the Parisians and crowds of thousands tourists right at the gate. The expression "sell your soul to the devil" is used not figuratively, but in the literal sense of the word, when it comes to the master who forged the gates for the cathedral.

Millennia later, people admire the magic of intricate patterns on the gates with joyful admiration. I can’t believe that such a perfect, incomprehensible beauty could be created by a person.

At the beginning of the 2nd millennium, Bishop Maurice de Sully decided to build a grandiose cathedral, which was supposed to outshine everything that had existed before with beauty and grandeur.

The future cathedral was assigned an honorable role: to become the spiritual stronghold of the nation and accommodate the population of the whole city. The blacksmith was entrusted with an important mission - to create a gate that would match the beauty and craftsmanship of the greatness of the building being erected.

Birscone fell into anxious doubts. The task that stood before him seemed to him so responsible, and his own skill so insufficient, that he called on supernatural powers to help.

It was not even clear how the master managed to create this masterpiece: whether he used forging or casting to create such complex openwork patterns. But the master himself could not answer.

When he came to himself, he was gloomy, thoughtful and taciturn. When the gates were installed and locks were fixed on them, it turned out that no one, including the blacksmith, could open them. Suspecting something was wrong, the castles were sprinkled with holy water, and only after that the gates were let into the church by the astonished servants.

The brilliant master himself soon lost the power of speech and quickly descended into the grave. So they did not have time to extort from him the secret of creating the gate. Some logically assumed that the master simply did not want to reveal the secrets of professional skill.
But rumors and legends reported that there was a deal with the devil. The blacksmith was forced to make such a deal: to sell his soul in exchange for talent.

Be that as it may, but the incomprehensible beauty of the main gate of the temple can really raise doubts that they were created without any intervention of extraterrestrial forces.

The Legend of the Nails of the Holy Cross

Of the four cross nails that were used in the crucifixion of Christ, two are stored in France. One of the nails is in Notre Dame itself. The other is in the church of St. Siffredio, which is located in the city of Carpentras. All sorts of miracles are attributed to this nail.

The miraculous nail was found in Jerusalem by the mother of the Byzantine emperor Constantine and transported to Rome. Elena, the mother of the emperor, is not in vain revered by Orthodox Christians around the world: she saved and preserved many holy relics associated with the life and death of Jesus and the Mother of God. In particular, with her help, the cross was found, on which the Lord was executed.

Believing in the miraculous power of the cross nail, Elena ordered that a bit be made from it for her son's horse. She believed that the power contained in the nail would keep the emperor safe on the battlefield. In 313, Constantine, having defeated Lucinius, put an end to the persecution of Christians and converted to Christianity himself.

Centuries later, the bit ended up in the Cathedral of Carpentras. The nail from this cathedral was a mystical symbol and a talisman of the city during the time of the plague.

From touching it, the sick and crippled were healed, the nail helped to expel demons from the possessed. The Vatican officially recognized cases of medically inexplicable miraculous healings.

The nail, despite its centuries-old age, does not oxidize or rust. Even attempts to gild it did not lead to anything: the gilding lagged behind the nail.

All these miracles, however, do not apply to the nail stored in Notre Dame. This nail has long since rusted. However, the authenticity of the French relic from Carpentras is still disputed by the Roman Church.

The Legend of the Knights

After the destruction of the 1st Temple in Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, the trace of the most revered relic of the Jews, the Ark of the Covenant, was lost. The Ark of the Covenant was shaped like a chest and was made of pure gold. It supposedly contained divine revelations that shed light on the laws of the universe.

Among other things, the casket contained the secret of the "golden section". The "golden number" 1, 618 in proportion to 1 was ideal for the construction of architectural structures, when creating sculptures and paintings. The "golden number" was the key that opened the divine secret of the harmony of all things.

According to some versions, the Order of the Knights Templar was considered involved in the discovery of the golden casket. When the first French Templars went to the East to protect the pilgrims going to the Holy Land, they did not limit themselves to this task.

Their mission also included the search for the treasured casket. The rumor that the casket was either found by them, or transferred to the Templars by the secret keepers of the relic, spread throughout France.

In any case, after their return to their homeland, the construction of Chartres Cathedral began. It was destined to become the most majestic and mysterious cathedral in the world.

The altar - "holy place" is located between the second and third columns of the cathedral. If you count down from this place 37 meters down, you can find the ancient well of the Druids (lower point). And at the same distance from the altar is the highest point of the cathedral - the spire of the main column.

This place with dots located symmetrically at the same distance from the main shrine has some kind of magical power. Those who have been there have indelible impressions. It seems that the cathedral transmits a double energy to a person.

Earth energy rises from the bottom of the temple. The energy of heaven descends from above. A person receives such a portion of concentrated pure energy that he is instantly transformed, both physically and spiritually.

Legend of the Sky Symbol

For a medieval dweller, everything he saw was only a reflection of the higher world, invisible to the human eye. Therefore, the entire architecture of the Middle Ages was encrypted into symbols. It is not easy to unravel all this symbolism of geometry, symmetry, mathematics, astrological symbols hidden in the architecture of Notre Dame.

On its central round stained-glass window (rosette) the signs of the zodiac are depicted and carved from stone. zodiac symbols next to the figure of the Virgin Mary. This composition is interpreted as a symbol of the annual zodiac cycle.

But the zodiacal cycle begins with the sign of Taurus, while on the stained glass window it originates with the sign of Pisces. And this corresponds not to Western, but to Hindu astrology.

The sign of Pisces corresponds to Venus, based on Greek traditions. But the fish was also a symbol of Jesus Christ. The Greek word "ichthus" (fish) in its first letters contained the phrase: "Jesus Christ, God's son."

The gallery of 28 Jewish kings reproduces the lunar cycle. But - again, the mystery of Notre Dame: there were only 18 kings, while the lunar cycle consists of 28 days.

legend of the bell

The bells on the towers of the cathedral have their own names and voices. The oldest of them has the name Belle. And the largest - Emmanuel weighs 13 tons.
All bells, with the exception of the last one, ring daily in the morning and evening. Emmanuel, due to his gravity, is not so easy to swing. Therefore, they are used only in the most solemn occasions.

But, if you believe the legends, then once the cathedral served as a haven for a person who could single-handedly rock this gigantic structure. His name was Quasimodo, he was the bell ringer of Notre Dame.

There is also a beautiful legend related to the creation of this bell. When at one time they wanted to cast it from bronze, Parisians in love with Notre Dame threw their gold and silver jewelry into the molten bronze. That is why the voice of the bell had no equal in beauty and purity of sound.

Legend of the Philosopher's Stone

Esotericists consider Notre Dame to be a kind of body of occult knowledge. The architecture and symbolism of the cathedral have been trying to decipher various researchers of the occult since the beginning of the 17th century.

It is said that ancient alchemists helped the famous architects of the cathedral with their knowledge. And somewhere in the geometry of the building the secret is encoded philosopher's stone. Anyone who can unravel it in countless sculptural moldings will be able to turn any other substance into gold.

And if you manage to decipher the ancient teaching, which, according to the followers of the occult, is encoded in frescoes, then you can comprehend all the secrets of the universe and gain unlimited power over the world.

Tower ticket prices:

• Adult: 8,50 Euro
• Persons from 18-25 years old: 6,50 Euro

Entrance to the Cathedral: for free

How to get there

Address: 6 Parvis Notre-Dame - Pl. Jean-Paul II, Paris 75004
Telephone: +33 1 42 34 56 10
Website: notredamedeparis.fr‎
Metro: Cite
Working hours: 8:00 - 18:45

Ticket price

• Adult: 8.50 €
• Discounted: 6.50 €

Updated: 04/16/2019