The iconic twin towers of Notre Dame survived the fire.
1. The structure’s frame is called “the forest.”
According to Notre-Dame’s website, the cathedral is supported by one of the oldest wooden frame structures in all of France. Containing wood harvested from a reported 1,300 oak trees, it’s an impressive work of engineering which, unfortunately, also lent to its being susceptible to fire.
2. The cathedral took over 100 years to build.
French President Emmanuel Macron promises to rebuild Notre Dame.
Construction of the cathedral started in the year 1163 and was completed in 1345. Many restoration projects were done on the main structure and interior elements throughout the years after suffering damage from the multiple wars it has witnessed in its 800 years of existence.
3. Victor Hugo saved the cathedral.
During the height of the French Revolution in the 1790s, France was dechristianized and control of the Notre Dame Cathedral was removed from the Catholic Church. Many statues inside the cathedral were destroyed as with some parts of the architecture. It even housed one of the more peculiar events of the time, the Festival of Reason, where the altar of the cathedral was rededicated to philosophy. Napoleon sought to restore the glory of Notre Dame after the revolution and even crowned himself as emperor there. But it was Victor Hugo’s
The Hunchback of Notre Dame that really put the cathedral back in the hearts of the French public and, eventually, the world.
4. 13 to 14 million people visit the cathedral annually.
That’s a lot of people considering the Eiffel Tower only gets 7 million visitors a year. But what is really inside the cathedral itself that make it so popular? First and most obvious are the great glass windows that were installed in the 13th century. Notre Dame also houses one of the biggest organs you’ll ever see with pipes that date back to medieval times. Then there is the collection of important religious relics that include the Crown of Thorns and part of the cross on which Jesus was crucified. Finally, the cathedral contains a lot of priceless paintings and sculptures created by the who’s who of art from multiple eras.
5. Notre Dame has something in common with the Rizal Monument.
In most countries, there exists a Kilometer Zero. For us, it’s the Rizal Monument in Manila. For France, it’s at the doorsteps of Notre Dame. The marker is small, but it’s there. It designates Notre Dame cathedral as the center of Paris and the spot where all distances in France are measured from.