Description

Processional with altar cross in the Cathedral of Notre Dame. The Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris (Our Lady of Paris) is a masterpiece of Gothic architecture. The large flying buttresses, huge rosette window and spires teeming with detail are all hallmarks of this architectural style. Construction began in 1163 under the reign of Louis VII and Pope Alexander III laid the foundation stone. The cathedral was not completed until roughly 180 years later in 1345. Built in an age of illiteracy, the cathedral retells the stories of the Bible in its portals, paintings, and stained glass. The Gothic structure dominates the Seine river and the Ile-de-la-Cité. On the spot where this majestic cathedral now stands, stood a Roman temple to Jupiter, a Christian basilica and a Romanseque church.