Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris (France)
N 48° 51.192 E 002° 20.952
31U E 452259 N 5411341
The depicted French stamp, issued in 2004, is devoted to the jewel of the Gothic sacral architecture and Parisien landmark - Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris (Cathedral of Our Lady).
Waymark Code: WM8FAC
Location: Île-de-France, France
Date Posted: 03/25/2010
Views: 164
Cathedral of Our Lady (Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris) is not the largest cathedral in the world, but might be one of the most famous cathedrals. This masterpiece of Gothic architecture is located on the Île de la Cité, a small island in the medieval heart of the city of Paris.
Bishop Maurice de Sully started the construction in 1163. The Cathedral was to be built in the new gothic style and had to reflect Paris's status as the capital of the Kingdom France. It was the first cathedral built on a monumental scale and became the prototype for future cathedrals in France, like the cathedrals of Amiens, Chartres or Rheims, just to name the most famous. It took until 1345 before the cathedral was completed, partly because the design was enlarged during construction. The result is an overwhelming building, 128 m long with two 69 m tall towers. The spire, which reaches 90 m, was added in the 19th century by Viollet-le-Duc. The Notre-Dame Cathedral has several large rose windows, the northern 13th century window is the most impressive. The massive window has a diameter of 13.1 m. The spectacular eastern buttresses are 15 m wide. The west side features 3 wide portals, the gallery of Kings.