Notre Dame is an approximate 15-minute walk from my apartment along the Quai De La Tournelle -- one of the named walkways that borders the Seine.
The church itself sits regally on the Ile de la Cite and dominates the skyline, almost too massive for one's imagination. The view from this approach is the chevet or apse of the church, (the rounded area behind the altar,) flanked by supporting flying buttresses, with the landmark twin towers at the farthest end --all surrounded by lush gardens even in this very early spring. On Easter morning, the great cathedral's bells chimed the last 10 minutes of my walk, and it was easy to recognize them as the voice of God calling the faithful for over a thousand years to the same great Easter Alleluia.
The capacity of the church is said to be 6500 people and I'm sure there were at least that present at the international Mass that morning. Television screens on pillars in the rear allow late-comers perfect views of the liturgy, and the sound system is wonderful, although there was hardly a peep heard from the crowd. The thunder of the organ filled the massive church (and scared the panties off of at least one grandma!) I've attended Mass here before, but never at Easter -- an unforgettable experience due mostly to the weight of reverence and faith of those thousands attending.
HERE is the official link to Notre Dame, with individual links available down the left-hand side for its history, art, etc.. If I've done this right, you'll see the pages in English. If not, simply go to the home page and select English for viewing.
The beauty of Sainte-Chapelle is literally breathtaking, particularly at sunset when the stained glass walls are illuminated. With a friend I attended a concert there a few years ago and was quite simply awe-struck. The entrance to the chapel is, however, up a nightmarish twisting, tiny stairwell, and I'm not sure these knees are up to it this trip. HERE is a link from Wiki about this beautiful and historical structure, and HERE is a short video from YouTube.
A long Metro ride from my Latin Quarter home base to the very (and very scary) outskirts of Paris, lies the granddaddy of what we know as French Gothic churches, the Basilica of St. Denis, begun in 1137 by Abbott Suger, who was a powerful counselor to Louis VI and Louis VII.
The style of churches just preceding Gothic was named Romanesque, the central features of which were rounded, heavy vaults and dim interiors as the necessary strength of construction for these tall, large buildings did not allow the lavish windows of the later Gothic. By the time of construction of St. Denis, the ribbed vault was already in use in England and Italy and other parts of France. Combining this device with thin-walled construction allowed the opening up of the interior expanse and the use of luminous stained glass, allowing space, light and a palpable presence of the Divine. In "The Gothic Cathedral" by Otto Von Simpson, quoted by Stan Parry in his "Great Gothic Cathedrals of France, "The Middle Ages lived in the presence of the supernatural, which impressed itself on every aspect of human life. The sanctuary was the threshold to heaven."
Suger's original church evolved into its current "Rayonnant" style a century later, which incorporates more decoration, columns and the rose windows. The glory of the High Gothic comes a bit later with the use of the flying buttresses.
The exterior of St. Denis is less than appealing as one of its towers is gone, and its setting is bleak, facing a public square in an industrial area of Paris, but the interior is as breathtaking in its own way as the larger, more well-known cathedrals. It is also the necropolis of France, containing the remains of all but three French kings, and other royalty, from 455 onward, although some of the early remains were moved from another church. The church also contains a display of royal treasure, including this cloak (and I thought Disney made it all up.)
From a personal perspective, I was surprised at the interior beauty of St. Denis, as it is an example of the earlier forms of Gothic construction. I missed seeing it on my last two visits, but since this is a pilgrimage, of sorts, to the magnificence of the other French cathedrals, it was wonderful to see the true starting point. Since I'm using only a point-and-shoot camera, I was unable to get good images of the interior on a rainy day. HERE are some good ones from Mary Ann Sullivan, via the internet.
There will be a test on medieval architecture in the next blog.
