Notre Dame, Paris

Notre Dame, Paris (A.D. 1163—1235) (pp. 332 A, 475, 476, 503 C, E, F), one of the oldest of French Gothic cathedrals, was begun by Bishop Maurice de Sully. The plan, which either by accident or intention is on a bent axial line, is typical, has wide nave and double aisles, transepts of small projection practically in a line with the aisles, and a notable chevet, the earliest of its kind, with double aisles and surrounding chapels between the buttresses. The choir, transepts, and two bays of the nave were completed in A.D. 1196, while the nave was completed in A.D. 1208 when the west façade was started. The impressive, though sombre interior has a nave arcade with cylindrical columns and Corinthianesque capitals carrying pointed arches and shafts to support the ribs of the lofty sexpartite vaulting. The high triforium was surmounted by an upper triforium with circular windows, which were removed in order to introduce taller clear—story windows, but the circular windows next the crossing were reinstated by Viollet—le—Duc (p. 475 A). The wide—spreading western façade (p. 476 A) is probably the finest and most characteristic in France, and served as a model for many later churches. It has three deeply recessed portals with successive encircling tiers of statued niches, and the central doorway is divided by a pillar with a statue of Christ, while above and across this stretches a band of statues of the kings of France. This is surmounted by a central wheel window of great beauty, 42 ft. in diameter, flanked by high coupled windows, over which again a pierced arcaded screen stretches across the fagade in front of the nave roof and con— necting the two western towers, which have high pointed louvred openings. It is a façade of distinctly harmonious composition and peculiarly suitable to the flat island site from which it rises alone in its impressiveness, without aid from surroundings and position ; although it has lost some dignity by the removal of the flight of steps which formed a base. The lateral façades (p. 476 C) are unimposing as chapels are wedged in between the buttresses (A.D. 1296), which obscure the original design. The east end, however, presents a fairylike appearance with slender flying buttresses and chevet chapels which, with the gabled transepts and delicate flèche soaring 300 ft. above the ground, backed by the western towers, form one of the most striking of cathedral groups (p. 475).