Paris, France Day 3 - The Notre Dame Cathedral

Our last day in Paris.. :(

Unfortunately it was also the last day of our entire vacation (Everybody now, wa..wa...waaaaaaa...)  and we were on board to take it as easy as we could and relish in the fact that we were STILL NOT at home or.. at work for that matter.  ;) 

Left on our list of places we needed to see before calling it a successful trip...

The Notre Dame Cathedral, The Louvre, The Pompidou and The Sacre Coeur 

And there are way too many pictures for one post...so I'll break it down for ya..

First Up:  The Notre Dame

Oh and a little history lesson courtesy of my good friend Wiki...pedia that is.  :)

Notre Dame is a Gothic, Catholic cathedral on the eastern half of the Île de la Cité in the fourth arrondissement of Paris, France.  Notre Dame de Paris is widely considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture in France and in Europe, and the naturalism of its sculptures and stained glass are in contrast with earlier Romanesque architecture. The first period of construction from 1163 into 1240s coincided with the musical experiments of the Notre Dame school.

Architecture

Notre Dame de Paris was among the first buildings in the world to use the flying buttress (arched exterior supports). The building was not originally designed to include the flying buttresses around the choir and nave. After the construction began and the thinner walls (popularized in the Gothic style) grew ever higher, stress fractures began to occur as the walls pushed outward. In response, the cathedral's architects built supports around the outside walls, and later additions continued the pattern. The cathedral was essentially complete by 1345.

Joan of Arc

Timeline of Construction

1160 Maurice de Sully (named Bishop of Paris), orders the original cathedral to be demolished.

1163 Cornerstone laid for Notre Dame de Paris—construction begins.

1182 Apse and choir completed.

1196 Bishop Maurice de Sully dies.

c.1200 Work begins on western facade.

1208 Bishop Eudes de Sully dies. Nave vaults nearing completion.

1225 Western facade completed.

1250 Western towers and north rose window completed.

c.1245–1260s Transepts remodelled in the Rayonnant style by Jean de Chelles then Pierre de Montreuil

1250–1345 Remaining elements completed