EUROPEAN CATHEDRALS: NOTRE DAME, PARIS

I'VE BEEN TO PARIS TWICE. THE FIRST TIME WAS BACK IN SEPTEMBER 2011. THAT'S WHEN I TOOK THESE PICTURES. IF I GET BACK TO PARIS A 3rd TIME I'LL GET MORE PICTURES OF THE CHURCH. BUT IN THE MEANTIME HERE'S SOME HISTORY ABOUT THIS FAMOUS CATHEDRAL!

THE FIRST PERIOD OF CONSTRUCTION WAS BETWEEN 1163-1345. THE FRENCH REVOLUTION CAUSED MASSIVE DESECRATION; STATUARY AND PAINTINGS DESTROYED. MIRACULOUSLY THE BELLS AVOIDED BEING MELTED DOWN. THE CATHEDRAL BECAME A FOOD STORAGE WAREHOUSE.

IN 1845 RESTORATION WAS BEGUN ON THE CATHEDRAL. THAT RESTORATION LASTED 25 YEARS. LESS THAN 100 YEARS LATER MORE DAMAGE WAS INFLICTED ON THE CHURCH DURING WORLD WAR II BUT IT WAS MOSTLY TO THE STAINED GLASS WINDOWS FROM BULLETS. THEY WERE RESTORED AND MANY OF THEM WERE RESTORED TO A MORE MODERN DESIGN.

THE MOST RECENT RESTORATION WAS STARTED IN 1991 AND WAS PLANNED TO TAKE 10 YEARS BUT IT TOOK TWICE AS LONG.

THERE ARE 387 STEPS WHICH TAKE YOU UP ONE TOWER TO GET A GREAT VIEW ACROSS PARIS. NOT TO MENTION AN UP-CLOSE AND PERSONAL VIEW OF THE FAMOUS BELL AND GARGOYLES. THE BELLS ARE AN INTERESTING STORY; THE MAIN BELL, CALLED EMMANUEL, HANGS IN THE SOUTH TOWER. IN THE NORTH TOWER THERE WAS A SET OF 4 BELLS. WHEN IT WAS FOUND THAT THE BELLS WERE VIBRATING THE ENTIRE BUILDING AND POSSIBLY CAUSING ISSUES WITH THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY, THE BELLS WENT SILENT. IN 2012 THOSE BELLS WERE REMOVED, MELTED DOWN AND RECAST INTO 8 BELLS. THEY WILL BE RE-HUNG IN THE NORTH TOWER AND A NEW BELL, NAMED MARIE, WILL BE CAST AND HUNG IN THE SOUTH TOWER WITH THE EMMANUEL BELL.

THE STATUES ON THE FACADE OF THE BUILDING WERE ORIGINALLY COLORED, SIMILAR TO THE CATHEDRAL IN AMIENS, FRANCE. OF COURSE, THE PAINT HAS WORN OFF OVER THE CENTURIES.

THE LIGHTING WAS VERY POOR SO THIS CAME OUT A BIT BLURRY; A VERY DETAILED MODEL OF NOTRE DAME DE PARIS; THE FLYING BUTTRESSES WERE ONLY ADDED AS AN AFTERTHOUGHT TO HELP SECURE THE WALLS WHICH WERE SHOWING WEAKNESS.