Please transfer the following notes from the Gothic Period into your hardback notes copies: the heading is Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris.
Gothic
cathedral:
Notre
Dame, in Paris, France.
The cathedral was
completed in 1250 when Paris was developing as the main centre of political
power and commerce. No expense was
spared in creating a cathedral with impressive architectural features that
would surpass those of all the towns nearby, and the construction was supported
and encouraged by King Louis VII himself.
The aim of the Paris
builders was to push the limits of the new style beyond anything yet
attempted. The breadth of the vaults as
well as the height at Notre Dame was greater than anything seen thus far.
Another important
innovation was the combination of triangular ribs with subtle transverse
arches. The result of this technique was
an impressively wide interior, which can be seen from the doorway through to
the altar without interruption from supporting pillars and is as impressive
today as it was then.
The towers were
finished around 1245 and the cathedral was finally completed around 1345
During the reigns of
Louis XIV and Louis XV at the end of the 17th century, the cathedral
underwent major alterations, during which many tombs and stained glass windows
were destroyed. It also suffered during
the French revolution of 1793, when many of its sculptures and treasures were destroyed
or stolen.
Napoleon Bonaparte,
who had declared the Empire on May 28, 1804, was crowned Emperor at Notre-Dame
on December 2, 1804.
The west front of the
cathedral is one of its most notable features, with its two 69-meter (228-feet)
tall towers. The South
Tower houses the cathedral's famous bell, "Emmanuel."
The bell weighs 13 metric tons (over 28,000 pounds), its clapper alone weighs
500 kilograms. The bell is Notre-Dame's oldest, having been recast in 1631.
The King's Gallery is a line
of statues of the 28 Kings of Judah and Israel, which was redesigned by
Viollet-le-Duc to replace the statues destroyed during the French Revolution.
The revolutionaries mistakenly believed the statues to be French kings instead
of biblical kings, so they decapitated them.
We will continue from this point on Monday... everyone please catch up on notes you missed.
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