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Notre Dame The royal coronation cathedral of Notre Dame is Gothic style which is the abbey church of Saint Danis with the royal tombs and the saint Chapelle in the Kings palace on the Ile-de-la-Cite which lies on the most important transport route in Paris. Remains of a vative pier bearing sculptures dating back to the reign of Emperor Tiberius were found under the choir and it can be asserted that a temple delicated to Roman and Gallic divinities stood at the eastern part of the Ile-de-la-Cite. This is not surpising knowing that churches were very often built on the site of old temples since 1163. Many important religious and political events related to French Kingdom took place under its vaults. During the 17 th and 18 th centuries, Notre-Dame was the very place to celebrate royal grandeur ; some more victories, funeral services. Gothic no longer appreciated, the canons did not hesitate to have stained glass pulled down & replaced by clear glass that let more light inside. Louis XIV has the choir redecorated in baroque style. In 1793, due to the prohibition of religious observances, the cathedral was converted into a temple to Reason. The revolutionaries destroyed the statues which were on each side of the doors. Fortunately, Alexandre Lenoir, a sensible young painter, has the excellent idea to gather the most interesting items in the Museum of National Monuments that he had just created for that purpose. The cathedral was redelicated under the Consulat, in 1801. Three years later, Napoleon was crowned Emperor in this cathedral in the presence of Pope Pius VII Through the zoth century, Notre-Dame was still a prestigious building. Considered as the Cathedral of France as well as funerals paying honour to chiefs of State. |
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