Notre Dame Cathedral Paris 2 - Goothic Gargoyles is a photograph by Mary Lynn Giacomini which was uploaded on October 19th, 2021.
Notre Dame Cathedral Paris 2 - Goothic Gargoyles
Photography by Mary Lynn Giacomini
Photographed Paris, France
Topaz Studio & Topaz Impressions used for artistic enhancement (Sepia... more
Title
Notre Dame Cathedral Paris 2 - Goothic Gargoyles
Artist
Mary Lynn Giacomini
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
Photography by Mary Lynn Giacomini
Photographed Paris, France
Topaz Studio & Topaz Impressions used for artistic enhancement (Sepia tones)
Our first trip to Paris I fell in love with Notre Dame Paris France I think it was the amazing architecture and those wonderful Gargoyles. We had lunch at a open cafe upon our arrival right across the street where we were able to gaze at this magnificent structure and where I took this photograph. I remember thinking at the time the only thing that could be better is if it were raining and catching water flowing from those wonderful gargoyles.
The gargoyles' main purpose is very practical. As rain water runs down the roofs of Notre-Dame de Paris, it needs to drain off without dripping down the walls and potentially damaging them. By evacuating rain water, the gargoyles protect the cathedral and protect the stone from damage caused by excessive runoff. That is in fact the main difference between gargoyles and chimeras. The former serve to drain rainwater, the latter are purely decorative.
The gargoyles not only protect the building from temperamental weather, by preventing water from dripping to close to the walls. they also provide the site with symbolic protection. Often frightening in some aspects, they represent monsters inspired by fantastic bestiaries, wild or domestic beasts, and even mankind. These monsters keep demons and evil forces away from the sacred walls that protect the community of churchgoers, by scaring them away. They also have a purifying role, since they digest unclean water and wastewater and keep it away from the walls.
Their strange and mythical appearances have inspired artists, who saw within them fabulous creatures and incorporated them into their work. Victor Hugo, for example, gives gargoyles a prominent role in his novel. Notre Dame de Paris. Their apparent ugliness, as well as their role as saviors, recalls the hunchbacked Quasimodo.
So when you visit the lovely city of Paris, or when you stand on the forecourt of Notre Dame, look up towards the sky and admire the gargoyles, solitary and silent guardians of the building, who have outlasted human turpitude, wars, and bad weather for centuries.
Notre-Dame de Paris, also known as Notre-Dame Cathedral is a historic Catholic cathedral in the fourth arrondissement of Paris, France. The cathedral is widely considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture, and it is among the largest and most well-known church buildings in the world. The naturalism of its sculptures and stained glass are in contrast with earlier Romanesque architecture.
As the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Paris, Notre-Dame is the parish that contains the cathedra, or official chair, of the archbishop of Paris. The cathedral treasury is notable for its reliquary which houses some of Catholicism's most important first-class relics including the purported Crown of Thorns, a fragment of the True Cross, and one of the Holy Nails.
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 but after the construction began, the thinner walls (popularized in the Gothic style) grew ever higher and 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.
Many small individually crafted statues were placed around the outside to serve as column supports and water spouts. Among these are the famous gargoyles, designed for water run-off, and chimeras. The statues were originally colored as was most of the exterior. The paint has worn off, but the gray stone was once covered with vivid colors. The cathedral was essentially complete by 1345. The cathedral has a narrow climb of 387 steps at the top of several spiral staircases; along the climb it is possible to view its most famous bell and its gargoyles in close quarters, as well as having a spectacular view across Paris when reaching the top.
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October 19th, 2021
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