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

Map

Virtual Tour

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.

Timeline and building units for Paris, Notre-Dame A 'building unit' is an arbitrary unit of work based on bulk billing techniques used by quantity surveyors. The unit is small enough to provide realistic figures in the small churches without becoming too huge in the large. Six units would pay for one small vaulted bay in an aisle about 3 metres square, or a small first-floor gallery. Such a bay would consist of an external wall with a small window, half of two columns about 3 meters tall, the floor and footings under them and the vault and roof overhead.
X

A 'building unit' is an arbitrary unit of work based on bulk billing techniques used by quantity surveyors. The unit is small enough to provide realistic figures in the small churches without becoming too huge in the large. Six units would pay for one small vaulted bay in an aisle about 3 metres square, or a small first-floor gallery. Such a bay would consist of an external wall with a small window, half of two columns about 3 meters tall, the floor and footings under them and the vault and roof overhead.

info

gray gray 304
1140		 gray 630
1160		 820
1170		 300
1180		 400
1190		 1200
1200		 350
1210		 600
1220		 110
1230		 40
1240		 gray
1050 1140s 1160s 1170s 1180s 1190s 1200s 1210s 1220s 1230s 1240s 1250

Phases for Paris, Notre-Dame The building sequence is based on my on-site analysis of the construction history, using the techniques developed on the cathedral of Chartres called toichology, and described in a number of publications. The analysis of some of the smaller churches are more approximate than I would like, and need further analysis. <p>I have used 'phase' rather than 'campaign' to to identify a contiguous zone with similar elements. A campaign would be defined by recognisable breaks and construction joints in the fabric: there may be a number of phases within a campaign. One benefit is that separate programs by subcontractors, such as carvers, may be isolated, which is particularly useful in complex sections, such as portals. <p>Every phase has been assigned to a decade, so there may be more than one phase in a decade. <p>While this is certainly imperfect, it will allow us to explore all the data, including costs, across time. This is an on-going process, so as the data continues to be analyzed, the chronology and costing analysis will be further refined, and the synopsis updated. <p>Clicking on any of the decade graphics will display all buildings that had work being done during that decade.
X

The building sequence is based on my on-site analysis of the construction history, using the techniques developed on the cathedral of Chartres called toichology, and described in a number of publications. The analysis of some of the smaller churches are more approximate than I would like, and need further analysis.

I have used 'phase' rather than 'campaign' to to identify a contiguous zone with similar elements. A campaign would be defined by recognisable breaks and construction joints in the fabric: there may be a number of phases within a campaign. One benefit is that separate programs by subcontractors, such as carvers, may be isolated, which is particularly useful in complex sections, such as portals.

Every phase has been assigned to a decade, so there may be more than one phase in a decade.

While this is certainly imperfect, it will allow us to explore all the data, including costs, across time. This is an on-going process, so as the data continues to be analyzed, the chronology and costing analysis will be further refined, and the synopsis updated.

Clicking on any of the decade graphics will display all buildings that had work being done during that decade.

Short version of history

1140

Phase 1 - 1140 [1143] - west tympanum - 34 Units


West tympanum, part of a western extension to an earlier building; remains have been excavated to show that the nave floor level was lower than the choir..
1140

Phase 2 - 1140 [1143] - choir (b) - 150 Units


Set out and lay footings and bases for the choir walls from the compound piers in the eastern crossing.
1140

Phase 3 - 1140 [1146] - choir (a) walls - 120 Units


Choir aisle walls and some capitals, mainly on the northern side suggesting that work was interrupted partway through the upper walls; this was probably from the demands for the Crusade, and and therefore provides a fairly accurate date for these capitals.
1160

Phase 4 - 1160 [1164] - choir walls II - 200 Units


Resumption of work on the choir walls with remaining capitals mainly on the south side; this suggests a small tilt in the construction from north to south, with the work closer to the river presumably requiring deeper foundations.
1160

Phase 5 - 1160 [1165] - choir piers (a) - 230 Units


Choir aisle piers in at least two large campaigns with aisle vaults
1160

Phase 6 - 1160 [1166] - choir (g) I - 50 Units


Gallery bases 1; choir gallery constructed slowly in four or more campaigns in a complex process that explains the many changes in profiles and details that remain in spite of extensive renovations
1160

Phase 7 - 1160 [1167] - choir (g) II - 50 Units


Gallery bases 2; capitals phase I starting in the north
1160

Phase 8 - 1160 [1168] - choir (g) III - 50 Units


Gallery bases 3; capitals phase II north gallery vault
1160

Phase 9 - 1160 [1169] - choir (g) IV - 50 Units


Gallery bases 4 that are rectangular and suggest the matching profiles for the western crossing piers were set out at the same time; capitals phase III, middle vaults and walls raised to clerestory level at the crossing with two capitals, either in this campaign or the one before
1170

Phase 10 - 1170 [1170] - choir (t,c) - 120 Units


Gallery capitals IV, remaining vaults. This was a slow period of construction, and once completed the rest of the choir walls were built rapidly.
1170

Phase 11 - 1170 [1175] - choir (t,c) - 300 Units


Choir triforium roses and clerestory; The area alongside the clerestory windows has been heavily restored, and many capitals replaced. Those few that seem original, from weathering and appearance, are reproduced. The upper capitals were carved in the 70s, and the lower at the time the windows were altered in the 1220s.
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1170

Phase 12 - 1170 [1177] - choir (cw) - 300 Units


Choir clerestory windows designed for a lower junction against the wall, possibly the stage described in the Torigny letter of 1177.
1170

Phase 13 - 1170 [1179] - choir (rc) - 100 Units


Choir cornice a single row of 'teeth' with a timber roof, but the vaults were not erected ex the bosses and extra rows of teeth in the cornice.
1180

Phase 14 - 1180 - nave 1-6 (b) - 300 Units


Foundations for crossing and nave 1-6 in a number of campaigns, presumably begun when the services were transferred into the choir once the roof and stalls were completed; possibly not until the laterr 1180s.
1190

Phase 15 - 1190 [1192] - nave 1-6 (a) - 400 Units


Nave aisle capitals 1-6, arcade arches and aisle vaults
1200

Phase 16 - 1200 [1200] - nave 7- (a) - 200 Units


Foundations extended gradually to the west during the 90s, and pilier cantonne to bay 8, capitals all in the 1200s.
1200

Phase 17 - 1200 [1204] - west portals - 400 Units


Coursing around the western portals wall shows that capitals over W.s installed when jambs of W-w half up and W.n plinths just started in a complex history; allowing for replacements all capitals appear from the same epoch
1200

Phase 18 - 1200 [1206] - nave 1-6 (g) - 200 Units


Nave gallery 1-6, in stages as shown by joint WN3-4 in wall
1200

Phase 19 - 1200 [1208] - nave 1-5 (c) - 400 Units


West crossing capitals, next three or four bays of nave and extension into first bay of transepts
1210

Phase 20 - 1210 [1210] - nave 8-11 (g) - 350 Units


Nave gallery 8-11, clerestory 1-7 in a number of campaigns
1220

Phase 21 - 1220 - choir (c) - 300 Units


Replace choir triforium oculi and lower the clerestory window sills, then install the high vault, while the roof was raised and the cornice height increased by two courses to bring the choir to the same height as the nave.
1220

Phase 22 - 1220 [1225] - choir (v) - 100 Units


Choir vaults and flyers to choir only, now made necessary by the insertion of the vaults, none to transepts.
1220

Phase 23 - 1220 - nave 1-4 (c) - 100 Units


Nave clerestory first two 6-part vaults with heads in the boss, cornice somewhat higher than choir.
1220

Phase 24 - 1220 - west (g,c) - 100 Units


West clerestory and vaults; west front to top of tower I, clerestory nave western three 6-part vaults with big bosses
1230

Phase 25 - 1230 - west (c+) - 110 Units


Completion of west front, western vaults and towers
1240

Phase 26 - 1240 [1236] - nave chapels - 40 Units


Nave chapels dated in the documents to 1236-41
Later

Phase 27 - Later


Complete western towers, rebuild transpet terminal walls