npr: Monday’s fire that ravaged Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral, bringing down its spire and roof, struc
npr: Monday’s fire that ravaged Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral, bringing down its spire and roof, struck during Holy Week. But even outside this key period in the Roman Catholic calendar, the cathedral draws visitors all year, some 12 million of them. It is the most famous of the French Gothic cathedrals of the Middle Ages and is distinguished by its size, antiquity and architectural interest. At the cathedral’s east end, the apse is supported by single-arch flying buttresses of the more daring Rayonnant Gothic style, especially notable for their boldness and grace. “Our Lady of Paris” also features pointed arches, a ribbed vault, two 225-feet-tall towers on the facade, and large, intricate rose windows made of stained glass. The cathedral is central to French history and a beloved national symbol. Notre Dame’s construction began in 1163 during the reign of King Louis VII and completed in 1345. Images: Notre Dame Cathedral Photos: Hulton Archive/Getty Images, Le Grice/ Getty Images; Edward Charles Le Grice/Le Grice/Getty Images, Library of Congress, L. V. Clark/Hulton Archive/Getty Images and Patrick Kovarik/AFP/Getty Images -- source link
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