Notre Dame de Paris stands as the heart of France, both geographically and spiritually. While the world watched in horror as the spire fell in 2019, the cathedral has survived wars, revolutions, and riots for over eight centuries. For instance, the statues of kings on the facade were once beheaded by an angry mob who made a terrible historical mistake. Furthermore, the roof was affectionately known as "The Forest" because it contained a massive amount of ancient wood. Prepare to enter the sanctuary of the Hunchback.
Notre Dame
The cathedral sits on top of an ancient pagan city. Masons laid the first stone in 1163. However, before that, the site housed a Roman temple dedicated to Jupiter. Later, archaeologists discovered the “Pillar of the Boatmen” underneath the choir. Thus, this proves the site has been holy ground for thousands of years.
A colony of bees lives on the roof of the sacristy. Specifically, a beekeeper maintains hives on top of the church. Remarkably, these bees survived the devastating 2019 fire. They lived because smoke puts bees to sleep instead of killing them. Therefore, they simply napped while the roof burned.
Legend says the devil forged the iron doors. The bishop tasked a young smith named Biscornet with creating the ironwork. However, the work proved too difficult, so he sold his soul to the devil. Eventually, on opening day, the doors refused to open. Consequently, the priest had to sprinkle them with holy water first.
Revolutionaries beheaded the statues of the kings by mistake. During the French Revolution, the mob saw the statues on the facade. Unfortunately, they assumed the figures depicted the Kings of France. Consequently, the rioters climbed up and chopped off their heads. In reality, the statues represented the biblical Kings of Judah.
The architect of Notre Dame added a statue of himself looking at his work. Eugène Viollet-le-Duc restored the cathedral in the 19th century. Specifically, he replaced the statues of the twelve apostles. Interestingly, he modeled Saint Thomas after himself. Then, he positioned it to look up at the spire he built.
The famous gargoyles are not actually medieval. Actually, the iconic monsters known as chimeras arrived during the 19th-century restoration. Viollet-le-Duc added them because he wanted to capture a romantic spirit. However, the original design never included them.
People measure all distances in France from the Notre Dame cathedral. A small bronze marker sits in the square in front of the church. Locals call it “Point Zéro.” Thus, this spot marks the center of Paris. Moreover, it serves as the starting point for every road in the country.
Carpenters made the roof from an entire forest of trees. In fact, builders called the wooden framework “The Forest.” It required 1,300 oak trees. Furthermore, each beam came from a single tree. Lumberjacks cut many of them when they were over 300 years old.
Victor Hugo wrote his famous novel specifically to save the building. At that time, the cathedral crumbled. Therefore, city officials considered tearing it down. However, Hugo wrote The Hunchback of Notre-Dame to convince the public to save it. Ultimately, his plan worked perfectly.
The rooster on the spire serves as a “spiritual lightning rod.” Specifically, the copper rooster that topped the spire contained three holy relics. These included a piece of the Crown of Thorns. Thus, builders placed them there to protect the congregation from harm.
The great bell “Emmanuel” has rung for major historical events. Revolutionaries melted down other bells for cannons. However, they spared the massive 13-ton Emmanuel bell. Subsequently, it rang for the liberation of Paris in 1944. Likewise, it marked the end of World War I.
Revolutionaries used the cathedral as a wine warehouse. The mob desecrated the church and renamed it the “Temple of Reason.” Then, they used the vast interior space for storage. Consequently, they filled it with thousands of wine barrels confiscated from aristocrats.
The real “Hunchback” might have been a sculptor. Interestingly, memoirs from a British sculptor mention a “humpbacked” carver. He worked there while Victor Hugo wrote his book. Thus, this suggests Hugo likely based Quasimodo on a real person.
Firefighters saved the Crown of Thorns before anything else. King Louis IX originally bought the relic in 1239. It cost more than the entire Sainte-Chapelle building. Later, a human chain formed to rescue this priceless artifact as the roof collapsed.
Finally, a legend says the devil left the wind outside. According to the story, the devil told the wind to wait. He went inside to look for a sinner. However, he got stuck inside. Consequently, the wind still waits for him, creating the breeze on the parvis.
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