Notre Dame de Paris: A Celebration of the Cathedral

by Kathy Borrus

On April 15, 2019, the world looked on in horror as the Notre Dame Cathedral was nearly destroyed in a devastating fire. Notre Dame de A Celebration of the Cathedral offers a fascinating look back at nearly nine centuries of this landmark building that has stood as silent witness to some of the most important events in human history.

A marvel of Gothic architecture, the cornerstone of Notre Dame Cathedral was laid in 1163, and construction was completed in 1345. For almost nine centuries it has served as a house of worship and refuge-a stalwart soldier that has survived wars and revolutions, hosted royal weddings, coronations, and funerals, and inspired Victor Hugo's literary classic The Hunchback of Notre Dame . With the cathedral wounded but still standing, the world now watches as the rebuilding process gets underway. Notre Dame de A Celebration of the Cathedral chronicles the history of this landmark building, from its impressive architecture and collection of priceless artifacts to its presence during major world historical events. Through gorgeous, striking, and sometimes rarely seen archival photographs, Notre Dame de A Celebration of the Cathedral reminds us all why this building has become an unofficial wonder of the world, lodged in the hearts and minds of people around the globe.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Art

128 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2019

Reviews

[Siobhan DeFeo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a nice overview of the beautiful cathedral. It was written after the fire but before the renovations. It would be nice to read prior to going to Paris for a visit. Praise be to God that people came together to restore Notre Dame to glory!

[Randell Carlton Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely coffee table-type book celebrating the brilliant structure. Nice bits of history with behind the scenes photos. My favorite building in the world. 🇫🇷

[Ralph B · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really does celebrate the cathedral in diverse ways. Photo illustrations are magnificent and accompanied by relevant text, whether it's the overall architecture, history, statuary or its influence. Each section's brevirt leaves the reader wanting to know more.

Author refers to 19th century architect Eugène Le Viollet-le-Duc who restored Notre Dame to its grandeur after years of neglect and desecration by the French Revolutionaries who had it in for the King and royalty but also for the Roman Catholic Church because of its economic power.

The 2019 cathedral fire is noted at the end though leaving the reader with the hope/vow of French President Macron to rebuild the structure.

[Dan Trefethen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a lovely little book that celebrates Notre Dame with a short history and plenty of illustrations, including the first known photograph from 1838. The book was written in 2019 after the fire, and discusses some of the damage and hopes for restoration.

We were there in 2016 on our first visit to Paris and toured the cathedral. I am so grateful we were able to do that. It broke our hearts to see the cathedral burning on TV. I hope the French nation is able to restore it to its former glory. It was encouraging to see a choral performance on TV filmed in the sanctuary earlier this month, even though the singers were wearing hard hats.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good things do sometimes come in small packages. This is a relatively small sized book, but it seems to hit just the right notes in length, size and interest.

It's divided into short chapters, some on the history of the cathedral, the various areas of the cathedral, the art inside and outside the building, artists who have painted the cathedral, literary works that the cathedral has appeared in, etc.

Saddest are the photos of Notre Dame in flames. But hopefully the immense amounts of donations will ensure that the cathedral will one day be repaired and restored to glory once more.

[Maureta Bohon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was shocked and upset the night I saw Notre Dame Cathedral burning. Luckily I may still have a chance to see it thanks to contributions that have covered the cost of restoring the famous landmark to it's former glory. This book is a short but good read in explaining the history and the many facets of the building.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful and infornation overview of the history of the building and ongoing renovation and restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral and its place in the history, religion, and culture of Paris and of the world.

[Adrienne Gomer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this! It goes through the whole history of Notre Dame and everything it was used for - including some sketchy events during the French Revolution! Non-fiction but reads like a novel. Opens with the burning of Notre Dame in 2019.

[Jessica Arend · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25
Spotted a few typos, was left with many unanswered questions regarding what was and wasn’t lost in the 2019 fire. Would have benefited from being published later with more updated information.

[Robyn Bauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great pictorial record of historical episodes and artwork associated with Notre Dame de Paris. Continuing with research into Gothic cathedrals.