The Chimera of Notre Dame

One of the Chimera of Notre Dame - Paris, France 

Chimera are grotesque mythical figures which have been made from the body parts of a mixture of animals.  Most often they were a mix of Monkeys, Goats, Wolves and Eagles. A number of churches built in the Medieval period feature Chimeras and out of these, Notre Dame is probably the most famous. They were added to the Galerie des Chimères during the restoration of the cathedral in 1845.

More images and info after the jump.

One of the Chimera of Notre Dame - Paris, France

The Chimera, unlike the more famous Gargoyles, serve no purpose and are only used for decoration. The Gargoyles on the other hand, are actually used to disguise gutters which drain rain water off the cathedral. They stick out of the facade of the building in order to ensure that the water is moved far away from the walls with the aim of minimising damage.

One of the Chimera of Notre Dame - Paris, France

The climb to the top of the tower isn't tough as you are forced to take a break half way up. Due to the confined space at the top and along the Galerie des Chimères, climbers have to wait until the previous group has moved on before they can continue. The last stage of the climb is along a spiral stairway which leads you to the top of the south tower. The steps are stone and worn in the middle from the thousands of people who have climbed it over the centuries. Not a good place for claustrophobic people!

These shots were taken with a Canon 7D and the 24-105mm lens.

Notre Dame de Paris - Exterirors

Notre-Dame de Paris - Paris, France 

Notre Dame de Paris, French for Our Lady of Paris, is one of the "must see" cathedrals of Paris and, conveniently for us, was located a few hundred meters from our apartment in Le Marais. It is the cathedral of the catholic archdiocese of Paris and is located on the eastern part of Ile de la Cite on  the Seine.

More info and images after the jump.

Notre-Dame de Paris - Paris, France

The Notre Dame is famous for its French Gothic architecture and was one of the first buildings to feature flying buttresses, although interestingly, the original design for the building didn't include these. However, once construction began and the walls started growing higher, stress fractures appeared and as a result, the walls pushed outwards. The flying buttresses were then introduced to provide additional support.

Notre-Dame de Paris - Paris, France

The Cathedral was commissioned by Bishop Maurice de Sully and construction began in 1163, during the reign of Louis VII. It took nearly 200 years to build and was completed in 1345. Over the construction period, work was overseen by numerous architects and this is evidenced by differing styles which can be seen at various heights.

Notre-Dame de Paris - Paris, France

During the reigns of King Louis XIV and Louis XV at the end of the 17th century, major alterations were made to the cathedral in an attempt to modernise it. Stained glass windows and tombs were destroyed but fortunately, the magnificent north and south facing Rose windows remained intact.  The cathedral was once scheduled for demolition but was saved because of the popularity of Victor Hugo's Hunchback of Notre-Dame and a revival of interest in the Gothic period.

Notre-Dame de Paris - Paris, France

The exterior stone walls of the cathedral were not always the creamy white they are now. Over time, dirt and grime had built up on the stone walls and they were black until very recently. A new technique for cleaning stone, employing lasers, was used to clean the entire cathedral except for the spire. It was decided to leave the spire as it is in order to show visitors what the cathedral looked like before it was cleaned.

Notre-Dame de Paris - Paris, France

As with most photographs on this trip, these were captured with the Canon 7D and 24-105mm combo. I also used a tripod for all the night shots.