On the site of the present Notre-Dame Cathedral, there was an altar dedicated to the gods of the ancient Romans. Later, around the 4th century, when Christianity became the state religion, the cathedral was built and became the predecessor of Notre Dame Cathedral, the foundation stone of which was laid in 1163 during the reign of Louis XVII. It took about 200 years to build the magnificent Gothic-style Notre-Dame Cathedral, which was continuously remodeled.
Symbol of Alchemy
Fulcanelli, the greatest alchemist of the 20th century, called the cathedral “a book carved in stone, a masterpiece of alchemy.
The allegory of the carving at the central entrance is that the open book held in the right hand (open doctrine) and the other closed book represent esoteric and mystical arts. The nine rungs of the ladder in the middle are said to represent the nine steps that the alchemist must overcome.
Point Zero
Notre Dame Cathedral has been a spiritual place since ancient times.
A brass plaque is embedded in the square in front of Notre Dame Cathedral as the central point of Paris (pointe zero = zero point). It is said that if you stand on it and pray, your wish will come true, and some people have had their wishes come true.
Rose Window
Notre Dame Cathedral has three rose windows.
The northern rose window receives no sunlight, and it is the rose window on the south side that shines in the midday sun, while the rose window on the west front is the largest and shines in the evening sun.
The rose window is composed of a four-layered circle, with the image of the Virgin and Child at its center, and the twelve disciples of Christ and the saints together.
Gargoyle
A gargoyle is installed in the cathedral’s arque butane (support beam), which extends long outward and is a water-drop device in the shape of a monster, releasing rainwater through its mouth.
They are called gargoyles because of the gurgling sound they make when discharging water.
On the top floor, there is a grotesque (monster) that does not discharge water.
Grotesque or Chimera
On the top floor, there are monsters called grotesques or chimeras.
Most of them do not discharge water like gargoyles, and their role is to protect the cathedral from evil.