Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Notre Dame de Paris Miscellany











I have been impassioned about cathdrals ever since I wandered through my first ones, in Great Britain when I was about 12 or 13.

People respond differently to church architecture. My father has joined exactly one church in his life, the
First Congregational Church in Williamstown, Massachusetts, during his college years, and claims that he was drawn in by the building. It is indeed, a magnificent example of pre-federalist New England simplicity. My current Presbyterian church is similar in form ~ albeit red brick rather than white clapboard ~ and insistent upon its claim to a Western Reserve of Connecticut (otherwise known as northeast Ohio) heritage. Both of them urge upon their congregations the austerity of the Reform and Puritan response to the Catholicism of the medieval and Renaissance periods in European history.

But the lavishness of a cathedral has always beckoned to me. The first church we joined here was a United Methodist congregation with a building modeled after a 13th century French cathedral. When we visit St. Augustine, I go to
Memorial Presbyterian ~ not a cathedral (we don't have bishops in the Presbyterian Church, and a cathedral is the church seat of a bishop), but architecturally reminiscient of one. And given the chance, I will always be more than willing to explore the nooks and crannies, glass and stone, side chapels and altars and columns and windows and archways and crypts, of a cathedral.

This one, Our Lady of Paris ~ built 1163-1345 to honor Mary, the Mother of God ~ suits me just fine.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just got by to see the pics you've posted - gorgeous!!

alphawoman said...

Breathtakingly beautiful. Makes me want to pack a bag and take off. So glad you got the photo's to post. Yay!!

Anonymous said...

Is there anything prettier than the Rose Window?

Meg

Cynthia said...

I can't tell you how much I love all the photographs you're posting. You're feeding the wanderer in me that's longed for Paris for a lifetime.

Paul said...

You have posted some wonderful photographs. I'm impressed that you even got the flying butresses facing Ile St. Louis.

Anonymous said...

Stained glass has always made my jaw drop. The colors, light play and dipictions can keep me looking for hours. What a magnificent place of worship!

Anonymous said...

I saw your site address listed on the Medford site and came over to take a look and am very glad I did. I also love cathedrals, especially the Notre Dame. Such a beautiful building. I wonder how they ever managed to complete such a building at that time.
Thanks you for your blog.
Anna33

Anonymous said...

Great photos thanx for sharing them