«Contrasting composition of the novel «Notre Dame Cathedral. Contrasting composition of the novel Notre Dame Cathedral Notre Dame Cathedral as a historical novel
2. "Notre Dame Cathedral" as historical novel
Notre-Dame de Paris was closely associated with the historical narratives of the era. Critical assessment of W. Scott caused by disagreement French writer with the creative method of the "father of the historical novel", testified that V. Hugo sought to create a historical novel of a special type, sought to open a new sphere of fashionable genre.
The idea of the novel dates back to 1828; it was this year that the plan of the work was dated, in which the images of the gypsy Esmeralda, the poet Gringoire and the abbot Claude Frollo, who were in love with her, were already outlined. According to this original plan, Gringoire saves Esmeralda, thrown into an iron cage by order of the king, and instead goes to the gallows, while Frollo, having found Esmeralda in a gypsy camp, hands her over to the executioners. Later, Hugo somewhat expanded the plan of the novel. At the beginning of 1830, the name of Captain Phoebe de Chateauper appears for the first time in notes on the margins of the plan.
Hugo began direct work on the book at the end of July 1830, but the July Revolution broke through his activities, which he could resume only in September. By mid-January 1831 - in an exceptionally short time - work on the novel was completed by V.N. Nikolaev. V. Hugo: Critical and biographical essay. M., 1955. S. 153 - 154 ..
The revolutionary events of July 1830 and the period preceding them - when popular indignation was brewing in France against the last Bourbon Charles X - this entire turbulent era had a decisive influence on the formation of the writer's views, on his approach to reflecting historical events and the life of the estates of France XV century. The novel about the distant historical past sounded very relevant in the conditions of the time when the fight against the noble and church reaction was on the agenda in France.
Hugo considered the period of mature feudalism as an era when new, progressive ideas were formed in society, destroying the foundations of the estate monarchy, undermining the authority of papal Rome and the Catholic Church.
The foundations of feudalism, which dominated France for many centuries, as Hugo believed, were gradually shaken under the influence of the spirit of freedom awakening in the people. The novelist drew attention to the social conflicts that took place in the XIV - XV centuries. He considered, in particular, the uprising of the French peasants against the feudal lords - the Jacquerie - as a manifestation of those awakened forces that were called upon to shake the edifice of feudalism. In the chapter “This will kill that”, Hugo wrote: “and a turbulent period of “jaquerie”, “pragerie”, “leagues” opens. Power is shattered, autocracy is split. Feudalism requires the sharing of power with theocracy in anticipation of the inevitable emergence of a people who, as always happens, will take the lion's share for themselves.
Distinctive feature The era depicted in the novel was that the French monarchy, represented by Louis XI (1461 - 1483), pursued a policy of centralization of the state, relying in its struggle against large feudal lords on the burghers, on the middle and lower strata of the noble class, united around royal power . Feudal-monarchical arbitrariness most severely affected the life of the French peasantry, crushed by the burden of taxes.
The hostile attitude of the people towards the big feudal lords sought to use the royal power in order to destroy the excessive claims of the latter and deprive them of their former independence. The feudal lords strongly opposed the concentration of state power in the hands of one monarch, seeing this as an infringement of their economic and political interests. Against the king, the feudal lords organized an alliance called the League of the Public Good. This "League" was headed by the irreconcilable enemy of Louis XI - the Duke of Burgundy. Louis XI was able to defeat the troops of the Duke of Burgundy only in 1478, at the Battle of Nancy.
In his novel, Hugo gives a vivid picture of the strife that took place between the king and the largest feudal lords in the 15th century. Thus, Louis XI, believing that the Parisian “rabble” is rebelling against the feudal lords, expresses the hope that with the destruction of the ruling feudal lords, his royal power and power will increase.
The reader gets acquainted with the actions of the royal power not only in the chapter “The Cell in which Louis the French Reads the Hours”, but also in a number of other chapters, which depict the bloody crimes of the royal court, the arbitrariness perpetrated by the city magistracy, speak of predatory extortions from the population, merciless suppression of any liberties. Hugo rejects the apologetic judgment of the monarchist historian Philippe de Comines, widespread in his time, about Louis XI as the “king of the common people” and creates a portrait of a terrible tyrant who used the most cruel tortures and executions in the struggle to strengthen his rule.
The writer saw great strength in the common people, who were striving for victory in wars and uprisings. Thus, the peasants of the cantons of Switzerland more than once inflicted severe defeats on the troops of the Duke of Burgundy. It is this historical lesson that Copenol reminds Louis XI of his disdain for "chicks":
Strengthening absolutism, Louis XI imperceptibly weakened the monarchy and paved the way for the French Revolution. According to Hugo, Louis XI began the great destruction of feudalism, which was continued by Richelieu and Louis XIV for the benefit of the monarchy and which Mirabeau completed for the benefit of the people. The writer will use this historical concept again in the 50s, embodying it in the epic poem "Revolution".
"Notre Dame Cathedral" is a work that reflects the past through the prism of the views of a 19th-century humanist writer who sought to highlight the "moral side of history" and emphasize those features of past events that are instructive for the present.
Hugo wrote his novel during the period of the rise and victory of the democratic movement, which was marked by the final fall of the Bourbon dynasty. It is no coincidence that the author attached exceptional importance to the figure of the artisan Jacques Copenol, representing the interests of the free city of Ghent.
In the first book of the novel (Chapter IV), Hugo creates a significant episode - the clash between the citizen Copenol and the Cardinal of Bourbon: the cardinal was put to shame, while the Flemish hosiery spoke about his importance in society: “After all, it was not the cardinal who rebelled the inhabitants of Ghent against the favorites of the daughter of Charles the Bold; it was not the cardinal who armed the crowd with a few words against the tears and prayers of the princess of Flanders, who appeared at the very foot of the scaffold with a request to spare her favorites. And the stocking merchant only raised his hand in a leather armlet, and your heads, illustrious seigneurs Guy de Embercourt and Chancellor Guillaume Gougonet, flew off your shoulders ”Hugo V. Collected Works: In 15 vol. M., 1953. T. 2. S. 40 .. Already in the 15th century, according to the novelist, the third estate began to play a decisive role in social events and the fate of major historical figures. Such a concept was based on the works of bourgeois-liberal historians of the period of restoration, who, as is well known, assigned a major role to the craft and trade class, which had begun the struggle for their rights since the days of medieval communal cities.
By the end of the restoration period, Hugo had not yet drawn a sharp line between the bourgeoisie and the people, therefore Copenole for him is a representative of that people, which is the greatest force sweeping away the dynasty of kings. However, this high appraisal of one of the leaders of the urban bourgeoisie finds its justification in the real relations of the era of late feudalism. Kopenol is a figure of the time when the people had not yet opposed themselves to the bourgeoisie, when the “third estate” still existed as a kind of unified force in the struggle against the feudal system. The real, historical Copenol could think and feel as Hugo portrayed it: he had predecessors - such as the foreman of the Parisian merchants Etienne Marcel, the leader of the Paris uprising of the XIV century; he also had descendants - leaders of the Dutch bourgeoisie at the time of its struggle against Spanish absolutism.
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Notre-Dame de Paris (Notre-Dame de Paris), a monument of early French Gothic (See Gothic), which has become a model for many churches in France and other countries. Located in Paris on the Ile de la Cité.
It is a 5-nave basilica (length 130 m, width 108 m, interior height 35 m) with a short transept and two towers flanking the western facade (height 69 m). For the architecture of P. b. With. a combination of features of the Romanesque style (See Romanesque style) (horizontal articulation of facades, partially unfinished wall surfaces, simplicity of architectural decoration) with a new, Gothic understanding of the space of the building and the use of new structures (lancet arch, Arkbutany) is characteristic.
The cathedral was begun in 1163, mostly completed by 1257 (the choir was completed around 1177, the transept and nave - by 1196; the western facade - around 1200-50, sculpture of the 1st half of the 13th century; the transept was remade in the 2nd half of the 13th century. , architect Jean from Chel, Pierre from Montreuil). Fragmentary stained-glass windows (roses of the western, southern and northern facades, 13th century) and sculpture (on the facades, about 1165-1225; in the choir, 13-14th centuries) have been preserved. The cathedral was heavily renovated in the 19th century. (begun in 1845, J. B. Lassu, E. E. Viollet-le-Duc), but retains the organic integrity of the architectural appearance.
Notre Dame Cathedral, along with the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower, is part of the must-visit Parisian triad. That is why a multilingual crowd is always noisy on Papertnaya Square, street musicians and jugglers entertain the venerable audience, click the shutters of cameras, the doors of the portal open and close, letting in numerous people who want to go inside, a queue of those eager to climb to the very top and feel like Quasimodo for a fee .. Notre Dame is still the center of Parisian life.
It is hard to imagine that two hundred years ago the cathedral was in complete neglect. The famous revolution that flooded the country with blood and destroyed numerous castles, palaces and monasteries in the fight against the legacy of the accursed past has died down. The cathedral also got it. At first, the illiterate rebels decided that the statues on the facade - the Old Testament kings - depicted the hated kings of France and plunged them to the ground. Then other sculptures followed. Bells and church utensils were melted down, the altar was desecrated and looted, and then dedicated to the goddess of Reason, invented by the leaders of the revolution. Her role at the festivities was played by an actress of dubious reputation. The newly invented cult did not last long and died out with the revolution.
For many years the cathedral stood dilapidated, looted and dilapidated, until in 1831 the famous novel by Victor Hugo appeared, which marked a revival of interest in the historical heritage and Gothic art in particular and drew attention to the deplorable state of the great architectural monument.
Restoration by decree of the king was entrusted to the young architect Eugene Viollet-le-Duc, whose name later turned out to be associated with the huge successes of France in the restoration of ancient monuments. Since then, the constant concern of the authorities is the preservation of the cathedral in its original form. For example, literally last years a large-scale restoration and cleaning of the facade was carried out, returning its stones to their original light color.
Although the temple was built for many years, the original plan was respected, which, by the way, was a rarity among Gothic cathedrals. The facade is characterized by symmetry and harmony, balance and tranquility, rigor and clarity. It is clearly divided into three parts both vertically and horizontally - it turns out an original modular grid, a kind of proportional grid.
The lower tier is formed by three portals: the Mother of God, the Last Judgment and St. Anna (from left to right). Attention is drawn to a slight deviation from complete symmetry - a triangle above the tympanum of the northern (left) portal - the very error, the smack of which turns the calculation into art. The sculptural decoration of the portals is worthy of detailed consideration.
Above the portal tier there is a pronounced horizontal - a gallery of kings in the niches of the arched belt. These are the same 28 figures of the kings of the Jews, the ancestors of Christ, who were thrown to the ground by the rebellious mob. It separates the lower tier from the middle one, where the windows are located. A round stained-glass window with a diameter of almost 10 meters is a symbol of divine infinity, inscribed in a square, a symbol of the earthly world. This combination was intended to remind dedicated viewers of the mystery of God become man. On the balustrade in front of the rose window there is a statue of the Madonna supported by two angels. At the same level, exactly above the side portals, there are images of Adam (left) and Eve (right). Such a composition was intended to recall the original sin of the forefathers and its redemption by Jesus Christ.
In addition to the famous rose window, on the second tier, double arched windows attract attention, which, being circled with lancet draft, echo the forms of the portals located below them. And small round windows of the second tier, located above the arched windows, in turn correspond to the central rose window. Such a rhythmic coordination of forms, as it were, holds together all the elements of the facade.
An additional confirmation of this is the elongated double openings of the towers, corresponding both with the windows of the second tier and with the doors of the portals. But these are already elements of the third tier, on the way to which the eye comes across another strong horizontal - a high through arcature.
Just like horizontally, the façade is clearly divided into three parts vertically as well. Buttresses protruding from the wall act as separators. Here, by the way, a slight violation of symmetry is also allowed: the left tower is slightly wider than the right one. Interestingly, the opening between the towers on the third tier is perceived as the same natural element of the facade as the main mass of the wall.
The general impression was remarkably expressed by the Russian art critic Yevsey Rotenberg: “The facade of Notre Dame demonstrates not so much the rise of architectural forms as their consistent tiered ascent and corresponding relief, from the frankly heavy portal bottom through the peculiar balance of masses and openings in the second window tier to the delicate ultra-light crowning arcature and, further, to tower volumes.
Unlike many other Gothic temples, the facade of Notre Dame has a sense of the weight of the architectural mass: it is no coincidence that certain sections of the wall are left without decor - their tangible heaviness is set off by contrast with openwork forms.
Indeed, later gothic architecture was characterized by such aspiration to the sky, which is not at all characteristic of the Notre Dame Cathedral. Its main façade demonstrates an amazing balance of verticals and horizontals, which is unparalleled in all of French Gothic.
Inside the temple, an unusual surprise awaits the attentive viewer: the three-part facade corresponds not to a three-nave, but to a five-nave main building! Such a "pairing" is done so delicately that the bulk of the audience simply does not notice. In the eastern part of the cathedral, the double side naves continue evenly around the main apse, which allows pilgrims (and now tourists) to circumambulate the altar without interfering with worship. At one time, it was the task of accommodating a large number of pilgrims in the church that gave rise to the need for light churches of large volume, which ultimately led to the appearance of the Gothic lancet vault.
Pay attention to the massive pylons in the second row, counting from the entrance. Their reinforced structure is designed to support the weight of the main façade towers. Along the perimeter of the entire cathedral there are chapels that were built between the buttresses in the 13th-14th centuries.
Perhaps the most impressive sight in the interior of the cathedral is the stained-glass rose windows in both wings of the transept. The northern rose, preserved from the 13th century, depicts Old Testament characters around the Virgin Mary. The plot of the southern rose is Jesus Christ surrounded by saints and angels. Here the stained-glass windows were replaced during the restoration of the 19th century.
The sculptural image of Notre Dame of Paris, to which the cathedral is dedicated, is located in the middle of the cross, at the right column separating the altar from the bypass of the choir. Symmetrically to it, at the left column, there is a statue of St. Dionysius. To the right behind the altar is the entrance to the treasury, where, among other relics, the crown of thorns and other sacred objects that once resided in the Sainte-Chapelle are kept. To the left behind the altar is a curious model of an unfinished cathedral, revealing the construction techniques of the Middle Ages.
The interior of Notre Dame Cathedral, being a work of early Gothic, demonstrates not only the innovations of this style in the form of a rib vault, but also the legacy of a previous era. The walls of the middle nave have not yet been completely split into columns, they look quite massive, and they are based on round Romanesque pillars. It is not surprising that the illumination of the temple is clearly insufficient, despite attempts to improve it, made soon after the completion of construction.
Well, the brighter the sunlight will be perceived when you again go outside from the doors of the northern portal. Take a look at the facade last time to capture it in memory: it will become the tuning fork with which you will check the sound of the music frozen in stone of all other Gothic temples.
Literature:“The Cathedral of Notre Dame cannot be called a complete, integral, monument of a certain character. This is no longer a Romanesque temple, but it is also not quite a Gothic temple. This is an intermediate building. No sooner had the Saxon architect erected the first pillars of the nave than the lancet vault, taken out of the Crusades, triumphantly laid down on the wide Romanesque capitals, designed to support only a semicircular vault. Dominating inseparably since that time, the lancet vault determines the forms of the entire cathedral as a whole. Unpretentious and modest at the beginning, this arch unfolds, increases, but still restrains itself, not daring to rush with the tips of its arrows and high arches to heaven. He seems to be constrained by the proximity of heavy Romanesque pillars. Each side, each stone of the venerable monument is not only a page in the history of France, but also in the history of science and art.
V. Hugo "Notre Dame Cathedral"
Story: Construction began in 1163, under Louis VII of France. The main altar of the cathedral was consecrated in May 1182, by 1196 the nave of the building was almost completed, work continued only on the main facade. By 1250, the construction of the cathedral was basically completed, and in 1315, the interior decoration was also completed. Construction of the western pediment, with its distinctive two towers, began around 1200.
Two architects are considered the main creators of Notre Dame - Jean de Chelle, who worked from 1250 to 1265 and Pierre de Montreuil, who worked from 1250 to 1267.
During the construction of the cathedral, many different architects took part in it, as evidenced by the different style and different heights of the western side and towers. The towers were completed in 1245 and the entire cathedral in 1345.
Architecture: The cathedral shows a duality of stylistic influences: on the one hand, there are echoes of the Romanesque style of Normandy with its characteristic powerful and dense unity, and on the other hand, innovative architectural achievements of the Gothic style are used, which give the building lightness and give the impression of simplicity of vertical construction. The height of the cathedral is 35 m, the length is 130 m, the width is 48 m, the height of the bell towers is 69 m, the weight of the Emmanuel bell in the eastern tower is 13 tons, its tongue is 500 kg.
culture: It is impossible to overestimate the importance of Notre Dame Cathedral for Paris, France, and the whole world. Birth of Paris, location 0 km. all the roads of France, a beacon of culture and a spiritual sanctuary, a place of pilgrimage for tourists from all over the world - a small part of the contribution of Notre Dame Cathedral to the culture of France.
Similar information.
Notre-Dame de Paris is Hugo's first major novel, closely tied to the historical narratives of the era.
The idea of the novel dates back to 1828; it was this year that the plan of the work was dated, in which the images of the gypsy Esmeralda, the poet Gringoire and the abbot Claude Frollo in love with her are already outlined. According to this original plan, Gringoire saves Esmeralda, who was thrown into an iron cage by order of the king, and instead goes to the gallows, while Frollo, having found Esmeralda in a gypsy camp, hands her over to the executioners. Later, Hugo somewhat expanded the plan of the novel. At the beginning of 1830, an entry appeared in the notes on the margins of the plan - the name of Captain Phoebe de Chateauper.
Hugo began direct work on the book at the end of July 1830, but the July Revolution interrupted his activities, which he could resume only in September. V. Hugo began work on the novel under an agreement with the publisher Goslin. The publisher threatened to exact from the author a thousand francs for each overdue week. Every day counted, and then, in the hassle of an unexpected move to a new apartment, all notes and sketches were lost, all the prepared work was gone, and not a line had yet been written.
Although in the early 30s the author of Notre Dame Cathedral was still a supporter of constitutional monarchy, he already had a negative attitude towards royal absolutism and the nobility, which occupied a dominant position in France in the 15th century, to which the events described in the novel are attributed. At the end of the restoration period, along with anti-noble ideas, Hugo also found vivid expression in anti-clerical convictions that were new to him. Thanks to this, the novel about the distant historical past sounded very relevant in the conditions of the time when the fight against the noble and church reaction was on the agenda in France.
The novel was finished two weeks ahead of schedule. On January 14, 1831, the last line was added. Hugo looks at the mountain of scribbled sheets. That's what a bottle of ink can contain!
The first reader of the manuscript was the publisher's wife. This enlightened lady, who translated from English, found the novel extremely boring. Goslin was not slow to convey to wide publicity the response of his wife: "I will no longer rely on famous names, and look you will suffer losses because of these celebrities." However, the publication of the book was not delayed. "Notre Dame Cathedral" was published on February 13, 1831
"Notre Dame Cathedral" is a work that reflects the past through the prism of the views of the 19th century humanist writer, who sought to highlight the "moral side of history" and emphasize those features of past events that are instructive for the present.
Hugo wrote his novel during the rise and victory of the democratic movement, which marked the final fall of the Bourbon dynasty. It is no coincidence that the author attached exceptional importance to the figure of the artisan Jacques Copenol, representing the interests of the free city of Ghent.
Actually romantic traits novel manifested itself in the pronounced contrast of the "Cathedral", a sharp opposition of positive and negative characters, an unexpected discrepancy between the external and internal content of human natures. However, the "medieval", "archaeological" novel, where the author writes with special care the darkness of Frollo, the exotic outfit of Esmeralda. The meticulously developed vocabulary serves the same purpose, reflecting the language spoken by all strata of society, terminology from the field of architecture, Latin, archaisms, argotism of the crowd of the Court of Miracles, a mixture of Spanish, Italian and Latin. Hugo uses detailed comparisons, antitheses, shows amazing ingenuity in the use of verbs. Amazing characters in extraordinary circumstances are also a sign of romanticism. The main characters - Esmeralda, Quasimodo and Claude Frollo - are the embodiment of this or that quality. The street dancer Esmeralda symbolizes the moral beauty of a simple person, the handsome Phoebus is a secular society, outwardly brilliant, inwardly devastated, selfish and therefore heartless; the focus of the dark forces is Claude Frollo, a representative of the Catholic Church. Hugo's democratic idea was embodied in Quasimodo: ugly and outcast by social status, the bell ringer of the cathedral turns out to be the most highly moral being. This cannot be said about people occupying a high position in the social hierarchy (Louis XI himself, knights, gendarmes, arrows - the "watchdogs" of the king. These are moral values, established by the writer in the novel and reflected in the romantic conflict of high or low, where low is the king, justice, religion, i.e. everything that belongs to the "old system", and high - in the guise of commoners. And in Esmeralda, and in Quasimodo, and in the outcasts of the Court of Miracles, the author sees folk heroes novel, full of moral strength and full of humanism. The people in the understanding of the author is not just an empty mass, it is a formidable force, in whose blind activity the problem of the idea of justice lies. In the idea of the storming of the Cathedral by the masses of the people, Hugo hinted at the impending storming of the Bastille in 1789, at the "hour of the people", at the revolution.
It is very important to know the context of the creation of this novel, which began on the eve of the revolution of 1830. Hugo's wife, who left her memoirs about him, wrote the following: "Great political events cannot but leave a deep imprint on the sensitive soul of the poet. Hugo, who had just raised an uprising and erected barricades in the theater, now understood more clearly than ever that all manifestations of progress are closely connected with each other and that, while remaining consistent, he must accept in politics what he has achieved in literature. The heroism shown by the people during the "three glorious days", as the days of the barricade battles that decided the fate of the Bourbons were then called, captured Hugo so much that he had to interrupt the work he had begun on the "Cathedral ...". "It is impossible to barricade yourself from the impressions of the outside world," he wrote to Lamartine, "At such a moment there is no more art, no theater, no poetry ... Politics becomes your breath." However, Hugo soon resumed work on the novel, locking himself at home with a bottle of ink and even locking his clothes with a key so as not to go out. Five months later, in January 1831, as promised to the publisher, he laid the finished manuscript on the table. It is no wonder that this novel, created on the crest of the revolution, captures the author's admiration for the heroism and creative genius of the French people, the desire to find in distant history the beginnings of his future great deeds.
The day of January 6, 1482, chosen by Hugo for the initial chapters of his historical novel, gave him the opportunity to immediately immerse the reader in the atmosphere of the colorful and dynamic medieval life, as the romantics saw it, the reception of the Flemish ambassadors on the occasion of the marriage of the French Dauphin to Margaret of Flanders, folk festivities, arranged in Paris, amusing fires on the Place de Grève, the ceremony of planting a May tree at the Braque Chapel, a performance of the mysteries of the medieval poet Gringoire, a clownish procession led by a pope of freaks, a thieves' den of the Court of Miracles, located in the back streets of the French capital ...
No wonder Hugo's contemporaries reproached him for the fact that in his "Cathedral ..." there is not enough Catholicism. So spoke, for example, the Abbé Lamennet, although he praised Hugo for the richness of his imagination; Lamartine, who called Hugo "the Shakespeare of the novel", and his "Cathedral ..." - "a colossal work", "an epic of the Middle Ages", wrote to him with some surprise that in his temple "there is everything you want, only there is not a bit of religion."
Hugo admires the cathedral not as a stronghold of faith, but as a "huge stone symphony", as "a colossal creation of man and people"; for him this wonderful result of the combination of all the forces of the era, where in every stone one can see "the fantasy of the worker, taking hundreds of forms, directed by the genius of the artist." Great works of art, according to Hugo, emerge from the depths of the national genius: "... The largest monuments of the past are not so much the creations of an individual, but of a whole society; this is more likely a consequence of the creative efforts of the people than a brilliant flash of genius ... An artist, a person, a person disappear in these huge masses, without leaving behind the name of the creator, the human mind in them is its expression and its overall result. Here time is the architect, and the people are the bricklayer."
If the romantics of the older generation saw in the Gothic temple an expression of the mystical ideals of the Middle Ages and associated with it the desire to escape from worldly suffering into the bosom of religion and otherworldly dreams, then for Hugo medieval Gothic is, above all, a wonderful folk art, an expression of a talented folk soul with all aspirations, the fears and beliefs of his time. That is why the cathedral in the novel is an arena not at all of mystical, but of the most worldly passions. That is why the unfortunate foundling Quasimodo is so inseparable from the cathedral. He, and not the gloomy clergyman Claude Frollo, is his true soul. He understands the music of his bells better than anyone else, he seems to be related to the fantastic sculptures of his portals. It was he - Quasimodo - "who poured life into this vast building," says the author.
The main ideological and compositional core of the novel "Notre Dame Cathedral" is the love for the gypsy Esmeralda of two heroes: the archdeacon of the cathedral Claude Frollo and the bell ringer of the cathedral Quasimodo. The main characters of the novel come out of the very thick of the crowd, which plays a decisive role in the whole concept of the novel - the street dancer Esmeralda and the hunchbacked ringer Quasimodo. We meet them during the popular festival in the square in front of the cathedral, where Esmeralda dances and performs tricks with the help of her goat, and Quasimodo leads the buffoon procession as the king of freaks. Both of them are so closely connected with the picturesque crowd that surrounds them that it seems as if the artist only temporarily removed them from it in order to push them onto the stage and make them the main characters of his work.
Esmeralda and Quasimodo represent, as it were, two different faces of this many-voiced crowd.
Notre Dame Cathedral (Notre Dame de Paris) is a beautiful, world-famous Catholic church located in the heart of Paris. Notre Dame de Paris is one of the most recognizable symbols of the French capital.
The cathedral is located in the east of the island of Cite. The cathedral is striking in its duality: on the one hand, the powerful energy of the Romanesque style is clearly expressed, and on the other hand, new trends of that time are used - Gothic style, which gives the cathedral acute-angled elongated shapes, emphasizing the simplicity and elegance of the design.
Characteristics.
Notre Dame Cathedral impresses with its size and grandeur. So, the length of the structure is 130 meters, the height of the temple reaches 35 meters, and the width of the building is 48 meters. At the same time, the dimensions of one of the bells are striking - the weight of the Emmanuel bell, located in the south tower, is as much as 13 tons, and the weight of only one tongue of this bell is 0.5 tons.
The buildings are powerful and majestic. It is divided vertically by pilasters into three parts, and horizontally into three tiers of galleries. In the lowest tier of the temple there are three deep portals:
- on the left - the portal of the Virgin;
- in the center - the portal of the Last Judgment;
- on the right is Anna's portal.
Wall paintings are not used in the interior design of the cathedral. Almost the only colored decoration of the cathedral are the stained-glass windows, striking in their beauty and splendor. They cast multi-colored reflections from the sunlight, and filled the cathedral with fantastic, divinely beautiful lighting.
Divine services are held in the cathedral, for which the entire population of the city gathers. Solemn ceremonies are held in it, mysteries are played out - the forerunners of theatrical spectacles. trade agreements are concluded and even lectures are given to students. The Estates General, the first French parliament, sat in the Paris Cathedral.
In 1163, on the Ile de la Cité in the historic center of Paris, King Louis IX laid the foundation for a new cathedral in the French capital - Notre Dame de Paris - Notre Dame Cathedral. Its construction continued in several stages, from 1163 to 1345;
- 1182 - the eastern part of the cathedral was built.
- 1200 - the western part of the cathedral.
- XIII century - for almost half a century, the design of the western facade of the cathedral and the creation of its sculptural compositions went on.
Thus, the construction of the cathedral continued until the XIV century. Mighty towers rise majestically above the square - low befrois, decorated with a spire. Below is the upper tier of the cathedral made of transparent lace decorative arcade, even lower - the middle tier with a huge round window - "rose".
Cathedral stained glass.
The stained-glass window "Northern Rose" was glazed in 1255, and its diameter reaches about 13 meters. This magnificent huge stained-glass window struck with its beauty and well-chosen colors. In the center of the stained glass window is the image of the Mother of God with the Child, surrounded by eight petals. The outer side of the stained-glass window "Northern Rose" is quite well preserved, because it was less subject to temperature and atmospheric influences.
Stained glass "Southern Rose" was created in 1260. The stained-glass window also reaches almost 13 meters in diameter and consists of 85 individual stained-glass panels made from fragments. Outside, the stained-glass window is made in the form of a patterned lattice depicting a flower. However, the outer part was exposed to atmospheric phenomena and therefore it was restored already today.
Below them is the so-called "Kings Gallery", which has 28 statues depicting ancient Jewish kings. At the bottom, double door entrances, perspective portals, decorated with carved ornaments and sculptures, open wide. The curved arches of the lancet arches are full of dynamic tension.
The cathedral was built of grayish-yellow stone. Inside the cathedral - a solemn twilight. Through the huge carved windows, decorated with stained-glass windows, sunlight penetrates, painted in different colors. The interior of the cathedral strikes with sophistication and splendor. There are worship services.
Huge thin ribs surrounded the structure on three sides. The central nave ends with a high gable roof covered with green copper. This majestic building in and today is striking in its beauty.
The construction of Notre Dame de Paris began in 1163, during the reign of Louis VII. The foundation stone was laid by Pope Alexander III. However, this place has never been empty. Before the advent of the Catholic Cathedral, there was the Basilica of St. Stephen, the first Christian church Paris. And even earlier - the temple of Jupiter, made in the Gallo-Roman style. The basilica stood on its foundations. The initiator of the construction of the cathedral in the eastern part of the island of Cité on the Seine was Bishop Maurice de Sully.
Construction and restoration
The construction went on for a long time and in stages, and each step reflected a certain period of the culture of medieval France. The date of completion of all buildings is 1345. True, under Louis XIII, in the years 1708-1725, the cathedral choir was completely changed. And during the years of the French Revolution, in July 1793, the Convention declared the need to remove the symbols of all kingdoms from the face of the earth, as a result of which all statues of kings, including those in Cathedral of Notre Dame, were beheaded. He himself at that moment had the status of the Temple of Reason.
This was the reason for the restoration, which was carried out in the XIX century. Despite the coronation in the cathedral of Napoleon and his wife Josephine, everything was in a state of decline. They almost decided to demolish all the buildings, but in 1831 Victor Hugo's novel of the same name was published. The writer inspired the French to preserve old architecture and, in particular, this cathedral. A decision was made for a massive restoration, which began in 1841 under the direction of Viollet-le-Duc. It is characteristic that at that moment the restorers did not set themselves the goal of restoring exactly the cathedral that was before the start of the revolution. New elements appeared - a gallery of chimeras and a spire 23 meters high. Adjoining buildings were also demolished, as a result of which a modern square in front of the cathedral was formed.
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Cathedral features
It is a complex architectural composition. The oldest building is the Portal of St. Anne, which is located on the right side of the complex. The portal of the Last Judgment is in the center; its construction dates back to 1220-1230. The northern portal of Our Lady was built in the 13th century. It is located on the left. The southern portal of the temple was also erected in the 13th century. This is a transept, and it is dedicated to St. Stephen, who is considered the first martyr of Christianity. In the south tower is the Emmanuel bell, which weighs 13 tons, and its tongue is 500 kg.
The facade of the temple, facing the square, is distinguished by legendary majesty. It is demarcated vertically by ledges in the wall, and horizontally it is divided by galleries. In the lower part and are the three portals mentioned above. Above them is also an arcade with statues of the kings of ancient Judea. According to the Catholic tradition, the walls do not contain any paintings or ornaments from the inside, and the only sources of illumination in the daytime are lancet windows with stained-glass windows.
Notre Dame Cathedral today...
Currently, the cathedral is in state ownership, and the Catholic Church has a permanent right to worship. It houses the chair of the Archdiocese of Paris. The archbishop himself conducts liturgies only on especially solemn occasions, sometimes on Sundays. On ordinary days, the responsibility for worship lies with the rector, who is appointed by the archdiocese. On simple days of the week and on Saturdays, four masses are celebrated in the cathedral and one vespers is held. On Sunday there are five Masses, as well as Matins and Vespers.
The largest organ in France is installed in the cathedral. It has 110 registers and over 7400 pipes. The title organists play the organ. According to tradition, each of them participates in services for three months a year.
Along with such temples as in Barcelona, Intercession Cathedral in Moscow, Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, St. Mark's Cathedral in Venice, Milan Cathedral, St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome, St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg, is known all over the world and attracts thousands of tourists .
The 21st century made its sad contribution to the history of the cathedral - a fire almost destroyed the building of the 12th century. People started talking about restoration and restoration in different countries of the world, ready to help and participate in this process, expressing their love and respect for the work of those who were involved in the construction of this world architectural masterpiece.
Kaluga region, Borovsky district, Petrovo village
The exhibition of models "World Architectural Masterpieces" presents miniature copies of buildings under the protection of UNESCO to the guests of the ethnographic park. The exposition is located on the second floor of the pavilion of the Street of the World "Around the World", above the Friendship of Peoples Square. Here you can admire the pyramids of Giza and the Japanese Himeji Palace, the Chinese “forbidden city” Gugong and the Aztec Pyramid of the Sun, the Bavarian Neuschwanstein Castle and the French Chateau Chambord, the Indian Mahabodhi Temple and the Roman Pantheon, the Tower of London and the Moscow Kremlin. Miniature mock-ups are made of high-quality polymer material by Chinese craftsmen on the special order of ETHNOMIR.
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