Western facade - Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris

walwyn Sat, 09/25/2010 - 12:35
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Western facade of Notre-Dame Cathedral Paris

 

The western façade of the cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris, with its twin towers, was built between 1200 and 1240. With its three portals containing scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary, the Last Judgment, and scenes from the life of St. Anne, it is considered one of the finest examples of early Gothic architecture.

 

In 1548 Huguenots destroyed a number of works considered idolatrous, and during the 17th and 18th centuries modernization work by Louis XIV and Louis XV removed, and destroyed, many of the statues and stained glass panels. During the French Revolution many of the larger statues were destroyed and the Cathedral converted into a food store. major restoration began in 1845 and took 25 years to complete. The architects responsible for the restoration were Jean-Baptiste-Antoine Lassus and Eugène Viollet-le-Duc.