Gothic masterpieces: the famous Notre Dame of France

Not so long ago, the Cathedral of Notre Dame, which suffered from the fire, is not the only masterpiece of Gothic architecture in France. Here to this day there are majestic cathedrals, the construction of which began to be built back in the XII century, at the time of the emergence of a new style in France, from where the Gothic trend in art spread to the east and north of Europe. The characteristic features of the Gothic style in architecture can be traced on the example of ancient French cathedrals, which have vertical towers and columns, facades with many decorative elements and stained glass colorful windows. In addition to similar external elements, all Gothic cathedrals have a uniform layout, so only experienced tourists and art historians can distinguish between them. We offer a look at the most famous Gothic cathedrals in France, which are rightfully considered the pearls of the European Gothic style.

Notre Dame in Chartres

The cathedral, located in the city of Chartres, was founded a little earlier than the most famous brother - Notre Dame in Paris. Its construction was also completed several decades earlier - in 1260. It was erected on the site of an older Romanesque cathedral, burned down during a fire. The cathedral houses an important religious shrine for all Christians in the world - the shroud of the Virgin Mary.

Notre Dame in Strasbourg

This cathedral is difficult to confuse with any other, since it has only one tower, and the second was never completed. Strictly speaking, this is not a Gothic cathedral, but a building in a mixed Romano-Gothic style, and its construction began more than 1000 years ago, even before the birth of the Gothic foundations of French architecture. But from the fact that parts of the cathedral are built in different styles, it becomes even more interesting. In addition to asymmetric towers and a mixture of styles, the cathedral has another feature. Inside the building are ancient astronomical clocks of the early 19th century, which have high historical value.

Notre Dame in Rouen

This majestic Catholic Cathedral is located in Rouen, in the northwest of France. It had a difficult story, during which the building or some of its parts suffered from fires, hurricanes, lightning strikes and bombing during World War II.

Notre Dame in Reims

This Notre Dame can be seen in Reims, in the north-east of the country. Reims Notre Dame is not only of great architectural and religious value, but also is the most important cathedral in the history of France. The fact is that it was in this Catholic cathedral that the coronation ceremony of French kings was held from the time of the Middle Ages to the fall of the monarchy, with rare exceptions. This cathedral is notable for its rich facade and an abundance of sculptural compositions. Alas, the building throughout its history has undergone multiple demolitions and restorations.

Amiens Notre Dame

Another Cathedral of Our Lady, ranked among the canonical examples of French Gothic, located in Amiens. This is the largest French cathedral in this style in volume, which was erected in record lines - the construction of the masterpiece took less than 50 years, and it was completed in the second half of the 13th century.