Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris: where religion and fiction meet
If Quasimodo is one of the most famous characters in French fiction, Notre Dame, where his story takes place, is among the most popular monuments in France. In fact, the Hunchback of Notre Dame certainly strikes a chord with many of us.
In fact, the Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral tops the list of popular monuments in France with more than 13 million annual visitors ahead of the Sacré-Coeur Basilica, the Louvre museum, the Palace of Versailles and the Eiffel Tower.
Not only because Notre Dame has been a part of the Parisian cityscape since the Early Middle Ages – in fact, the 850th anniversary of the start of its construction is celebrated from December 12, 2012 to November 24, 2013 – but also because it truly captures the imagination.
A world of angels and monsters from heaven and elsewhere
If you stroll along the left bank of the River Seine in the Latin Quarter, you’ll arguably get the most satisfying view of the cathedral from its southern flank. That’s because you’ll have enough distance to gaze at one of the world’s most illustrious examples of Gothic architecture, populated with angels, monsters, and lifelike statues posted as sentinels or patrolling the rooftops.
A multitude of gargoyles do the job of expelling rainwater from the cathedral’s facades, while the other fantastic creatures, known as chimeras, are purely ornamental born from the minds of men.
The crowd of figures around the base of the arrow (needle type) could be characters from a JM Barrie fantasy novel. But in reality they represent the apostles, descending in groups of three from each of the cardinal points of the base of the arrow.
steeped in religion History AND Fiction
Notre Dame is also the place where religious and allegorical figures meet fictional and historical representations.
You will find a large statue of Charlemagne on horseback in the square in front of the cathedral on the left looking out.
And if you look closely along Rue du Cloître-Notre-Dame, you might spot a small statue resembling the bust of the Hunchback of Notre Dame, protruding from the wall of the north transept. By the way, this side is where you will enter the cathedral to climb the tower of the great bell, known as Emanuel, to enjoy a breathtaking view of Paris.
With so much fuel for the imagination, it’s no wonder Notre Dame was the setting for one of Victor Hugo’s most famous masterpieces.
Suggestion for your tour
In high season, up to 50,000 pilgrims cross the threshold of the cathedral daily. Perhaps you would like to take some bread to feed the pigeons, it will help pass the time just in case there is a queue!