The
Cathedral
Notre Dame's full name is the Cathedrale Notre Dame de Paris. It is
located on the
Île de la
Cité, which
is an island mass alongst the Seine. This isle was the heart of the
original Celtic settlement.
The cathedral was built in the 13th century on the site of a former
church.
The Interior
Notre Dame is the
darkest catherdral I have ever been to. I remember having to
use
night vision when video taping it. It is very large and there is plenty
to see. Just not enough light to see it with. The hunchback
could
be standing right next to you and you might never know it.
The Exterior
Above the middle door
of the west facade, there is a depiction of Christ's Second Coming and
Final Judgement Day. On Christ's right are the righteous and
on
his left are the wicked.
The large figures
represent, starting at the left, the King and Queen of Sheba, King
Solomon, and Saint Peter holding his trusty keys. Peter is usually the
easiest to identify for that reason. Above them are
representations of kings and queens standing on their various kingdoms.
Charlemagne
This statue is in the west courtyard and depicts Charlemagne on his
horse with two guards.
The Crypte
Archeologique
This little jewel I didn't discover till this visit. You hardly would
know it was there. It is located on the western edge of the
square. It houses ruins that were discovered in 1965, when
under
ground parking lot was being built. The museum shows features
that date all the way from the time of Verscingetorix (Gaulish leader
who went against Caesar) to the 19th century.
