It has survived revolution, war and disasters.

Now the Notre-Dame Cathedral is in flames.

– It has a long and colorful history, and is symbolically important for the French church, Renee Kohler-Ryan, professor at the University of Notre Dame in Australia.

In the second half of the 12th century, the Gothic style began to gain traction in French church buildings. Notre-Dame in Paris became one of its most important representations.

“The Gothic style was something that developed in medieval France. People tend to forget how important the Gothic style is. It demonstrates the genius of engineering during the medieval period,” says Renee Kohler-Ryan, a professor at the University of Notre Dame in Australia, who has studied the now fire-ravaged cathedral.

– It feels like I've lost a family member. It's a strange feeling, knowing its significant importance in this beautiful and important European city

Despite its name, the university has nothing to do with the cathedral in Paris. Notre Dame, or Notre-Dame, means our lady, and refers to the Virgin Mary in the Christian faith.

– Notre-Dame Cathedral is characterized by buttresses, which required a great deal of knowledge from the builders about the way weight needed to be distributed from the walls to the exterior. This allows, as in other Gothic churches, the walls to be very high and allows light to flow in through large windows.

Large glass windows

The buttresses look like wings extending out to the side of the building, and were added in the 1250s.

– They mean that the stones that you see on the walls from the inside don't have to do as much work, but instead you can have these beautiful stained glass windows, which is why there is so much glass work during the Gothic period.

A key feature of the cathedral is the large, round rose windows.

“There is a great concern that it has been damaged beyond repair,” says Kohler-Ryan.

The Gothic style replaced the heavier, solid Romanesque architecture in Europe. That tradition is also represented in Notre-Dame, especially in the stone entrance and the symbols there.

– There are also beautiful wooden sculptures in the choir area, in the back of the church, which have probably been destroyed and have artistic value.

Several reconstructions

Large church buildings were often linked to a special relic, in Notre-Dame's case a part said to come from Jesus' crown of thorns, which according to Christian belief was placed on his head at the crucifixion.

– Notre-Dame became a place of pilgrimage for those who wanted to pay homage to the relic. It becomes quite significant this week towards Easter, as it commemorates the occasion when the crown of thorns was placed on Jesus' head.

According to Renee Kohler-Ryan, the construction of Notre-Dame was similar to many other Gothic churches built during this time, with the predecessor said to be the abbey church of Saint-Denis in the northern Paris suburb of the same name.

Like many other church buildings, Notre-Dame has been remodeled several times, including the interior, which was altered in the 17th century, and a reconstruction in the mid-19th century. During the French Revolution, sculptures on the west facade depicting kings were smashed

The construction took generations

Beginning construction of the structure was an enormous effort, requiring craftsmen with knowledge in many different fields, such as stonemasons, bricklayers, builders, glaziers, and carpenters.

“It was a collaboration between those who were the best in their fields. One reason it took so long to build was that they had to take breaks during the winters. Unlike modern construction work, it took several generations, so cathedral building really became part of the community. You can imagine a grandfather laying the foundation stone, and his grandson eventually continuing the work,” says Kohler-Ryan.

TT: What do you think is required for the reconstruction?

– It has to do with how we view church building in today's society. There may be an opportunity to rebuild the cathedral in the Gothic style, but with today's knowledge, technology and perhaps even new innovations in the style.

Source: TT