Paris, Notre-Dame
PARIS

Building Data for Paris, Notre-Dame

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  • Type: Cathedral
  • Affiliation:
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  • Region: Ile-de-France
  • Department: Paris
  • Coords: 48.853, 2.3499
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  • Surveyed: 1969, 1972-74, 1977, 1980-83, 1992-98, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2012, 2017

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Studies These draft studies have been written as if all carvings were by an individual whereas they can equally be analysed as template modes employed by a number of carvers. The more personal approach was necessitated by the complexity of the data. The drafts will be reconsidered after I have added the rib vault material to the database.
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These draft studies have been written as if all carvings were by an individual whereas they can equally be analysed as template modes employed by a number of carvers. The more personal approach was necessitated by the complexity of the data. The drafts will be reconsidered after I have added the rib vault material to the database.

Documents for Paris, Notre-Dame

1163



Work said to have begun

CIRCA ID TEMPUS PRIMA NOVAE CATHEDRALIS FUNDAMENTA JECIT, CUJUS PRIMARIUM LAPIDEM POSUIT ALEXANDER III, UT HABET JOHANNES CANONICUS VICTORINUS.

At about this time the foundation of the new cathedral was started, whose first stones were placed by Pope Alexander III, according to Jean, a Victorine canon.

Source: Gallia Christiana, Paris, 1751, vii, col. 71.

From verbal tradition recorded by Jean, a canon of St-Victor who lived in the sixteenth century. Alexander was in Paris from 24 March to 25 April. The external walls of choir are certainly earlier. See Clark and Ludden, "Notes…", pp. 109-118.

1163/4



Houses bought by Maurice de Sully for a new street in front of the cathedral

...AD PERFICIENDAM VIAM QUO FIEBAT ANTE NOSTRE ECCLESIE PARAVISUM.

...to bring to completion the road which was made in front of the parvis of our church.

Source: Archives Nationales, Paris, L892, no. 6.

1164/5



House bought

...PRO FACIENDA VIA ANTE ECCLESIAM...QUAS TENEBANT ANTE PARAVISIUM, PRETIO QUADRAGINTA LIBRARUM...

...to bring to completion the road in front of the church...which runs in front of the parvis, at a cost of 40 livres...

Source: Archives Nationales, Paris, L892, no.7 as above.

1173



Houses bought to clear space for construction

TRES DOMOS, DUAS PROPE TERMAS SITAS, TERCIAM JUXTA PARAVISUM ANTE VICUM NOVUM CONSTRUCTAM, IN PLATEA...CONCESSIMUS IN RECOMPENSATIONEM DOMUS SUEE QUAM IPSI NOBIS DESTRUENDAM TRADIDERUNT AD PERFICIENDAM VIAM, QUE ANTE ECCLESIE BEATE MARIE PARAVISUM FIEBAT.

...three houses, two just on the edge of the site, the third next to the parvis in front of the new construction, on the street...conceded in exchange for a house for us to destroy to bring to completion the road, which runs in front of the parvis of the church of Notre Dame.

Source: Archives Nationales, Paris, L892, no. 22.

1175



The deeds of Henry, archbishop of Reims, 15 November.

HIC INTER PRAECLARA OPERA SUA, ECCLESIAM CUI PRAEERAT A FUNDAMENTIS EXSTRUXIT, DUOSQUE PONTES LAPIDEOS CONDIDIT, ALTERUM SUPER SEQUANAM, ALTERUM SUPER MATRONAM.

Among his splendid deeds, the church was built up from the foundations, two stone bridges were built, one over one side of the Seine, the other over the other side.

Source: Recueil des Historiens, xiii, 298. Also Mortet, 1995, ii, 111.


1175, 15 November



Henry, archbishop of Reims, donates candles

XVII KAL. DEC. (15 NOV) HENRICUS, REMENSIS ARCHIEPISCOPUS, QUI DEDIT NOBIS NOVEM ARPENNOS VINEARUM,...AD LUMINARE DUODECIM LAMPADARUM, SINGULIS NOCTIBUS IN PERPETUUM.

November 15: Henri, Arshbishop of Reims, who gave up to us nine arpents of vineyard,...to light twelve lamps each night in perpetuity.

Source: Guérard, Cartulaire de l'église Notre-Dame de Paris, iv, 187.

1177



Report that the apse was almost finished

MAURICIUS, EPISCOPUS PARISIENSIS, JAM DIU EST QUOD MULTUM LABORAT ET PROFICIT IN AEDIFICATIONE ECCLESIAE PRAEDICTAE CIVITATIS, CUJUS CAPUT JAM PERFECTUM EST, EXCEPTO MAJORI TECTORIO. QUOD OPUS SI PERFECTUM FUERIT, NON ERIT OPUS CITRA MONTES CUI APTE DEBEAT COMPARARI.

Maurice, Bishop of Paris, for a long time labors greatly and progresses in the building of the church of the aforementioned city, whose choir is now complete, except for the main roof. When the work is finished, it will be only fitting that it be compared with nothing short of a mountain.

Source: Roberti Abbatis de Monte, Appendice ad Sigbertum, in Recueil des historiens des Gaules et de la France, xiii, pg. 320.

1180 ca.



Nephew of Alexander III left 2 marks for the cathedral construction

XV KAL NOV. (18 OCT) GENTILIS, NEPOS ALEXANDRI, PAPE TERCII, QUI DEDIT NOBIS DUAS MARCHAS ARGENTI, ET, AD OPUS ECCLESIE REPARANDUM, DUAS MARCHAS,...

October 18 - Gentile, nephew of Pope Alexander III, who left 2 silver marks, and, for the work of repairing the church, two marks,...

Source: Guérard, Cartulaire de l'église Notre-Dame de Paris, iv, 170

Other gifts are listed in Aubert, Notre-Dame, pg. 30, note 6.

1182



Works sumptuously renewed

ECCLESIAM BEATISSIME DEI GENETRICIS MARIE, IN QUA IPSE RESIDET EPISCOPUS, PROPRIIS MAGIS SUMPTIBUS QUAM ALIENIS, DECENTISSIMO ET SUMPTUOSO OPERE RENOVAVIT, PLATEAM ANTE IPSAM ECCLESIAM INTER UTRUMQUE PONTEM DILATAVIT, REDEMPTO MAGNO PRETIO A CIVIBUS LOCO; MULTIS MANSIONIBUS PRIUS OCCUPATO; MANSIONES RENOVAVIT EPISCOPI; DUAS ABBATIAS, UNAM CANONICORUM, SANCTIMONIALIUM ALTERAM CONSTRUXIT.

The church of Notre-Dame, in which the bishop resides, at a cost previously unknown, the works have been decently and sumptuously renewed, the parvis before this church widened up to the bridge, at great cost to the city; many lodgings were re-occupied; the palace of the bishop rebuilt; two abbeys, a collegiate church and other sacred places were constructed.

Source: Sigberti Gemblacensis chronica cum continuationibus: Continuatio Aquicintina, in G.H. Pertz, Monumenta Germanica Historica, Scriptores, vi, 421.

1185, January 15



Héraclius, patriarch of Jerusalem, preached in the church

SEQUENTI DIE IN ECCLESIA BEATAE MARIAE MISSAM CELEBRAVIT ET SERMONEM AD POPULUM FECIT.

The next day in the church of Notre-Dame mass was celebrated and sermons were made to the populace.

Source: Rigordus de Gestis: Gesta Philippi Augusti, in Recueil des historiens des Gaules et de la France, xvii, 14.

1186



Relics found under west-north tower on site of old church of Saint-Etienne

ANNO MCLXXXVI...APUD URBEM PARISIORUM, IN QUODAM MONASTERIO SANCTI STEPHANI PROTOMARTYRIS, INVENIUNTUR RELIQUIAE DE CAPILLIS SANCTAE MARIAE TRIGINTA DUO, BRACHIUM SANCTI ANDREAE APOSTOLI, CAPUT SANCTI DIONYSII MARTYRIS, EJUSDEM URBIS EPISCOPI.

The year 1186...at the city of Paris, in the monastery of Saint-Etienne, the protomartyr, relics were found of 32 hairs of Saint Mary, the forearm of Saint Andrew the Apostle, and the head of the martyr Saint Denis, the bishop of that city.

Source: Recueil des Historiens des Gaules et de la France, M.J.J. Brial, ed., Paris, 1806-1822, vol. 18, pg. 338.

1196 September 11



Maurice de Sully's will

OBIIT MAURICIUS, BONE MEMORIE PARISIENSIS EPISCOPUS; QUI NOVUM VICUM DE SUO PROPRIO FACTUM TEMPORE SUO, ANTE PORTAS ECCLESIE APERUIT, QUATUOR ABBATIAS NOVELLAS SUB ECCLESIA PARISIENSI PLANTAVIT, PONTES IN EPISCOPATU CONSTRUXIT, DOMOS EPISCOPALES NOVAS EDIFICAVIT...IDEM ETIAM DEDIT NOBIS DOMUM JUXTA PORTAM CLAUSTRI SITAM,...

Obit. Maurice, Bishop of Paris; who made a new road through his property, laid bare before the portals of the church, established four new abbeys under the church of Paris, constructed bridges in his episcopacy, built new houses for the bishops...and gave to us houses next to the portal of the cloister,...

Source: Guérard, Cartulaire de l'église Notre-Dame de Paris, 1850, iv, no. cclii, 145-6.

1196 September 11



Maurice de Sully's will

...CENTUM AD TECTUM NOVE FABRICE ECCLESIE FACIENDUM PLUMBEUM.

...100 pounds for a new lead roof to be made to cover the church.

Source: Guérard, Cartulaire de l'église Notre-Dame de Paris, 1850, iv, no. cclii, 146.

1198



Bells in use

IN VIGILIA FESTIVITATIS, AD VESPERAS, CAMPANE ORDINATE, SICUT IN DUPPLO SIMPLICI, PULSABUNTUR...PULSATO AUTEM UNICO CLASSICO ANTE MATUTINOS, SICUT IN SUMMIS SOLEMPNITATIBUS.

On the eve of a feast day, at Vespers, the bells were rung properly, that is simply in pairs,...also sound one signal before matins, and all in the highest solemnity.

Source: Guérard, Cartulaire de l'église Notre-Dame de Paris, 1850, i, 74.

1218



A thief was caught in the roof of the choir

...CUM ALIQUOT DIEBUS IN SUPERIORIBUS TESTUDINIBUS PARISIENSIS ECCLESIE LATUISSET, NACTUS DEMUM OCCASIONEM, UNCINO DEORSUM IMMISSO, ARRIPERE NITEBATUR PELVES ARGENTEAS CUM CANDELABRIS ARGENTEIS,...

...that he might lie hidden above the vault of the church of the Paris, and given the opportunity, would insert a hook downwards and seize up the silver basins and silver candelabras,...

Source: Guillermie Armorici liber, ed. Delaborde "Œuvre de Rigord et Guillaume-le-Breton", i, 316