Victor Hugo: Great buildings, like great mountains, are the work of centuries.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame! Quasimodo. Esmeralda. Gargoyles. I learned about Notre Dame via this exciting yet dark Disney movie by Hugo. To have the opportunity to see Notre Dame with my own eyes was a dream come true.
This Gothic cathedral took nearly 2 centuries to complete; from 1163 to 1345. At first, it was a heathen temple dedicated to Jupiter, then a 4th century Christian church, then became a 6th century basilica and a cathedral by the 9th century.
I found it most intriguing when I read that Notre Dame cathedral was built on the ruins of a once pagan city. Beneath this cathedral's foundation was once where the Gallo-Roman city of Lutetia once stood!
The Last Judgement portal and a part of the "Gallery of Kings", 13th century, at the central and main gate of the cathedral.
The Rose Window of Notre Dame
A rose window originated out of an oculus, a small round window usually found in Ancient Roman architecture. The development of Gothic architecture in France in the 12th century was how rose windows became prominent.
The symbolism of a rose window lies in the geometry of the design. Every shape has its own meaning. Whatever style the window is, all shapes come together as a symbolic whole, usually represented in the Bible.
"Le Stryge", chimera overlooking Paris from Notre Dame
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