Notre-Dame to reopen today: 5 interesting facts about the iconic cathedral
The Notre-Dame cathedral, designed with mathematical precision, has played a vital role in French history.
After five long years of restoration, the iconic Notre-Dame in Paris will reopen its doors to tourists on December 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception. The reopening marks a significant moment in the cathedral’s storied history, as it rises from the ashes of the devastating fire that nearly destroyed it in April 2019.
The 860-year old medieval cathedral, a symbol of both France and Paris, has been meticulously restored, with a new spire and rib vaulting, its flying buttresses and carved stone gargoyles returned to their past glory and the white stone and gold decorations shining brighter than ever.
This reopening holds great significance, not just for Catholics, but for all who revere the cathedral's role as a living monument to French history and culture. Notre-Dame de Paris, a medieval Gothic marvel, was for many years France’s most visited landmark, drawing approximately 13 million tourists annually - far more than even the Eiffel Tower.
Notre-Dame is not merely a cathedral but a vessel of French history. From its role in the French Revolution to the Second World War, and the 2019 fire, its historical significance cannot be overstated. Among the numerous stories that have unfolded within its walls, here are five facts that set this architectural wonder apart from others:
A Choir shaped like the drooping head of Christ
Built on top of four churches, Notre-Dame features a choir shaped like the drooping head of Christ. Constructed on the Île de la Cité in 1163 at the initiative of Bishop Maurice de Sully of Paris, the cathedral was the largest structure in Europe in the 12th century, with a surface area of 64,000 square feet. When the current Gothic cathedral was constructed, several elements of the Merovingian, Carolingian, and Romanesque structures that came before it were preserved. Notre-Dame was built on a Latin cross design, like the majority of French cathedrals. However, its choir is positioned slightly to the left of the central nave, creating the hunched head of Christ Crucified.
Architecture based on the "Golden Ratio"
The cathedral's grandeur is not just a product of artistic inspiration; it is also the result of careful mathematical precision. Notre-Dame's Gothic design is rooted in the "Golden Ratio," a mathematical concept that produces aesthetically pleasing proportions. This "sacred geometry," utilized by medieval builders, ensures the cathedral’s façade and overall appearance align with nature’s most harmonious number, Phi (1.618), contributing to the cathedral's visual perfection.
A historic legislative venue
Notre-Dame is more than a religious site; it also played a key role in France’s secular history. In 1302, King Philip IV of France convened the first Estates-General inside the unfinished vaults of Notre-Dame, bringing together representatives from the clergy, nobility, and commoners to discuss issues of taxation and governance. This event marked a pivotal moment in French political history, as it laid the groundwork for future parliamentary developments.
The heart of France's road network
For over three centuries, all roads in France have converged on Notre-Dame, notwithstanding the well-known medieval adage that "all roads lead to Rome." This is because Emperor Augustus declared it the intersection of all the highways in the Roman Empire. By granting letters of patent in 1769, King Louis XV officially made it the hub of all the nation's routes. However, it wasn't until 1924 that the town's government decided to make this point—from which mileage distances between towns are calculated—official. The compass rose-shaped stone is still visible in the courtyard of the church.
Symbol of Paris's liberation in World War II
During the tumultuous days of World War II, Notre-Dame became a symbol of Paris’s resilience. On August 25, 1944, General Charles de Gaulle marched through the liberated capital to the cathedral's forecourt, where bells rang in celebration of the city’s freedom. Despite narrowly escaping an assassination attempt, de Gaulle joined the cathedral choir to sing the Magnificat in a powerful moment of national unity and triumph.
Notre-Dame reopening: A grand ceremony
The ceremony for the grand reopening of France's Notre Dame cathedral will be held entirely indoors due to an inclement weather forecast, the Elysee Palace and Paris diocese said Friday.
Saturday's reopening, which comes five years after the fire that devastated the famed Paris landmark, was moved inside after weather service Meteo France forecast wind gusts of up to 80 kilometres per hour, "obliging us to reorganise the arrangements", said President Emmanuel Macron's office and the local diocese in a joint statement.
A long list of world leaders, royalty and celebrities are due to attend the gala event.
Those include Britain's Prince William, US president-elect Donald Trump and possibly US singer and fashion designer Pharrell Williams, who is widely rumoured to perform.
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