5 Surprising Facts About Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris

The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is more than just a beautiful building. It reopened after five years of repairs caused by a huge fire. 

While many people know about its stunning design and historical importance, there are some lesser-known facts that make it even more fascinating.

The Starting Point of France 

Notre Dame isn’t just famous for its looks; it’s also a key geographic spot for France. In front of the cathedral, there’s a marker that says “point zéro des routes de France,” which means it’s the point where all distances in France are measured. This marker was put there in 1924, but the idea started in 1769 by King Louis XV.

Gargoyles and Chimeras 

The cathedral is known for its gargoyles and chimeras, but they’re not all old. The real gargoyles are part of the drainage system and have been there since the building was first built. The chimeras, which are just for decoration, were added in the 19th century by architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, inspired by the novel “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”

A Building with Many Uses 

During the French Revolution, the cathedral was used for things other than church services. It was called “Notre-Dame de la Raison” and used for festivals about science and reason. At one point, it was even used as a warehouse for wine.

Rediscovered Royal Statues 

In 1792, revolutionaries mistakenly cut off the heads of 28 statues from the cathedral, thinking they were French kings. These were actually statues of ancient kings from the Bible. The heads were lost until 1977 when they were found during some building work in Paris. Now, you can see them in the Cluny Museum.

Environmental Alert from a Fire 

The big fire in 2019 did more than damage the cathedral; it also showed a big environmental problem. It released a lot of toxic lead dust into the air. This incident made the city of Paris and possibly other cities look into how they check for and handle lead pollution.