National Geographic - UK (2022-02)

250 m

1,000 ft

NN

Seine

Notre Dame

Point of view de Paris

shown below

Royal

Palace

Sainte-Chapelle

Île Saint-

Île de la Cité Louis

FLYING

BUTTRESS

ARCHBISHOP’S

PALACE

TRANSEPT TREADWHEEL

CRANE

BUTTRESS

FLIER

TEMPORARY

WALL

COMPRESSION

FORCES

The Seine flows around a small

island that once held a prison, a royal

residence, and several churches.

MEDIEVAL ISLE

Variations in con-

struction methods

suggest that the

north and south walls

are made by different

teams of builders.

Buttresses flank the

building to stabi-

lize the tall walls;

they transfer forces

outward and down,

toward the ground.

Construction

begins with

the curved

choir walls.

1163-1182 1182-1220 1225-1350

Services are

held in the choir

as the transept

is being built.

The nave,

bell towers,

and spire are

finished.

The foundation

contains stones

repurposed from

fourth-to-12th-

century churches

on the site.

Intricately cut and

painted windows

depict seasonal and

spiritual duties.

ed
y

e.

f the

burned

were

build-

GOTHIC GRANDEUR,

12TH CENTURY

Master masons design

the cathedral, drawing on

their expertise with stone

and wood. It’s built on

what’s considered to be

sacred land of former

sanctuaries.

200 YEARS OF CONSTRUCTION

FERNANDO G. BAPTISTA, TAYLOR MAGGIACOMO, ROSEMARY WARDLEY, EVE CONANT, AND PATRICIA HEALY, NGM STAFF; MATTHEW TWOMBLY