For a long time you would believe i was in the stock of them. I the grandam of cathedrals. But on that day you found out that i was fragile. The time had come for me to tell you my incredible story. My story began in the mid 12th century in the dreams of the bishop of paris movies to celebrate a dream that was both fabulous and impossible it will never stand. But nothing not even the king of france had been able to resist the determination of my founder who when 1163 left my 1st stone it will be not for a damn good future but productive his project exceeded everything that paris had seen my builders set to work with the enthusiasm of new beginnings they had to try to learn to improve for everything had to be invented. Stone after stone they raised me out of the ground. My construction 8 through fortunes and awakened my old enemies its the only bible which should lead but in 20 years they successfully completed my quiet. I cried for my 1st builders. The hardships piled up and construction drug god. Fortunately other builders took over the reins and. Their ambition remained intact it was they who built mining 127 meters long with its forest of 1300 beings and its 3 monumental portals which they decorated with extraordinary sculptures. They painted my facades. But it still wasnt enough so they disassembled what they had patiently built to raise me even higher. Before crowning me with a spider. In 1240 after 80 years of instruction my 2 towers finally rose above paris yet this state of grace was the last short lived. In the middle 13th century my story was only beginning. I had just joined the ranks of major cathedrals when a formidable rival came on the scene a stones throw from my towers the same chair penned a masterpiece a virtual city and elegance. Next to its insolent beauty all that was marvelous 20 years before now seemed heavy and dark. Would construction have to resume. But where to find the strength to begin again. By chance another encounter occurred between a young Master Builder and one of the damask roses brought back from the aryans during the crusades. All it took was one encounter to start over again. It is the year 1248 Shonda Shelley has decided to exceed the wonders of the sunshine belt by matching the beauty of that most perfect of creation. Geometry symmetry the Master Builder who takes the reins belongs to a new generation whose dreams are all mentioned by science. It enables him to create rows windows of incredible virtuosity for the facades of my transcend. The complexity of johns drawing of the roses if it for it is based on the repetition of the same forms and hence the same gloss of style. But what really appealed to the bishop and cannons was the size of these rows windows 13 meters in diameter the largest in all of christendom. The 2 facades of my transept had to be entirely disassembled in order to achieve this feat john the shells wager was risky but he says sally would have surely taken the risk. But builders who could meet this challenge still had to be found for the times had changed. The architecture initiated a century earlier in paris had spread to other fronts where it took on its name opus forensic and which is to say the french style. For i was imitated everywhere now well beyond the kingdoms borders the major cities of europe were snatching away french builders in 100 years they would transport more stones than ancient egypt. It may come as a surprise but it was in the dark cave of this mighty that john sought out his 1st allies. For he knew that stone had exhausted its resources and nothing spectacular could be accomplished without i. I need to tell a secret. The beautiful outlines of stone cathedrals are also held up by a corset of metal. Skillfully hidden a few iron staples. And beneath a lacework of my windows rods of lead. Imagine the metal armature that had to be forged with a large rose window. The most renowned masters were all employed at other Building Sites if you thought about my request and result i had trouble finding his man i need your answer are except thank you the taciturn smith was young he had much to prove. But the stained glass would require all the skill of that greatest of masters the glass maker of the sunshine. The old man was at the end of his life withdrawn in his workshop with his daughter at his age the adventure was unreasonable. But how to resist. My daughter will come to paris to get the designs. Thank you it will be a masterpiece. Show had rekindled the flame of my building site after the era of stone and wood i was now entering that of metal and glass. But had these Young Builders measured the scope of the task ahead. Not only would they have to compete with nature. But they had to move quickly to catch the other cathedrals unaware. Following johns plans stone cutters chiseled the blocks for the tracery that would hold the immense wind. In a new band smiting the craftsmanship the iron armatures that will allow the rose window to resist the attacks of the wind. Or the transepts north the start of rises before their eyes. The 1st panels of glass begin to arrive in paris. Never had a glass maker undertaken such a colossal challenge. Each panel had to be drawn 1st in full size. Old testament kings and prophets dozens of medallions over 25000 pieces of multicolored glass. The old master works with the zeal of a man who knows his days are numbered. For me the looping. Of all the colors the most precious is a deep blue the blue of kings and the virgin mary drawn from cobalt out or its formula is jealously kept and its price exorbitant. Would be covered with it. Colored by copper iron ore manganese the thousands of panes would be sturdily assembled using lead sticks. The rows windows will have to resist both storms and century. When the planes are finished the glass makers daughter escorts them to paris where they will be installed yet. Paddle after a paddle my rose begins to bloom. The night was dangerous during the middle ages. When she would come to paris the young woman found refuge beneath my vaults among the in her room a sick sick in a cure for the need the watchful eye of the churchwarden the cathedrals police strolled. Out of gods this harlot was conjuring not setter. We werefor shes a witch. Yet what would a young womans word be against the canons accusations. Witchcraft was by death. The reputation of the old master didnt change a thing. The tragedy got the better of his fragile health. Thus would end the dream of a rose and the life of a young woman. Should. Fall away which. The craftsman where a brotherhood the young woman was one of theirs. As for the horrible cannon people say he threw himself from my towers out of guilt. Only one thing mattered for my buildings that the return of his daughter would restore the old masters health. But it was too late. No matter that glass working was forbidden to women like most of the other occupations of the cathedral a glass makers daughter would show the error of this stupid rule she would learn to paint in great towns the faces of kings the folds of their clothes she had attended the best school. The smith would melt the lead. Role. Together they would finish her fathers masterpiece. Thank their masterpiece. Us the 1st. I like to say that the north rose is the daughter of love. My grace. In 1250 it begins to radiate its magical light it is the largest in all of christendom. 20 years later the 2nd rose window will bloom on my south facade. A visitor during the middle ages described them as so wonderful that the soul cannot help but contemplate that. It is the year 1270 im a little over 100 years old and my construction is about to finish the time has come to make my voice heard. The bells are browns giants. The small ones which people call the sparrows weigh 500 kilos. At. Trifle compared to the enormous 10000 bells that were joined there later. So that my stone skeleton can resist their ringing my builders had the brilliant idea of constructing a belfry or a wooden tower built inside my stone towers it absorbs their terrible swinging without touching my wall. The bells are consecrated each one christened with a name. Asking why. They will sing an hour in. The sound of the alarm of danger. Was appeal was high. The regions will live to the rhythm of my heartbeat. I will sound when it is time to wake up time to start work. I will sound the great hours of the history of france. I would like to tell you a beautiful story about a cathedral loved by the humble pampered by the powerful. I could boast of the splendor of my choirs great panels sculpted by the imagine a of the 14th century. Notre dame majestic protective sailing the stormy seas of history. Centuries later grateful kings will offer me their infinitely graceful marvels. But all this beauty distracts us from the tragedy that is unfolding. The admiration that one surrounded me has slowly disappeared. In the 16th century the acts that. My architecture would henceforth be referred to by a scornful gothic meaning barbarous and primitive. I would hands forth live in the shadow of other monuments. After the time of his the jews came the time of palaces. Marvels of the renaissance and not a while valley. They were the builders a new masterpieces. Then it was the majestic symmetry of versailles which would outshine me focus. But in 1789 the french revolution upset this old world. It brought tremendous hope to the people but proved a difficult ordeal for monuments. The period of uncertainty began for churches like myself. They started by removing my belts the young republic needed their brands to cast cannons. I was forced to open my eyes i also embody the past from which the revolution wanted to make a clean break. Even worse i was linked to the monarchy to the king who had just been the capitated. In the year 793 my fate is in the hands of a man named veyron an entrepreneur who switched to a lucrative sector destruction. Dont think that i was the victim of blind vandalism veron followed a program established in high places. No symbol of the despised time of kings in feudalism must remain. To demolish it provided an estimate. Everything had to be quantified down to the restoration of the square which would be damaged by the falling statues. Poor wise men. Poor somerset decapitated like so many others. My persecutors spear thick black paint on john splendid state of glass windows to eliminate flow the lease and grounds. Of. The art and memory of the middle ages was being wiped out and he thought irans impassive gave us. This grim undertaking took nearly 10 months. For a time i was transformed into a temple of reason to welcome the new revolutionary religion. But nothing could be done i no longer had a role in. The authorities intervene solely as a matter of public health. The tatars from my count of stone i sold at auction for a discount to service ballast the buyers name is rare child he has 24 hours to clear their promises. Sometimes history plays tricks on us go on. Put some effort into it we dont have much time. On that summer night in 796. 00 in paris the courtyard of a private mansion hosted a rather mysterious ceremony. Go the remains of my statues had ended up in the hands of a 1000 loyalist. Theyve made to me to shelter them from the storms of history. In 1804 i even believe that my past glory had returned with 15000 asked for an imperial coronation. Or it was either that napoleon chose to celebrate the ceremony making him the emperor of france. On that day i was the queen of cathedrals indeed. But the splendors of my declaration of war is fleeting as the emperors reign. And with each season my condition worsened. I was exhausted by the centuries abandoned my gown in tatters my sad lot no longer interested any one. Turn of the kings to the throne didnt change a thing. After all why would i escape the fate of so many other ancient monuments. Behold precious to me edges abbey. Ruins have a beauty of their own like fossils they harbor within the memory of their past glory. But the 19th century would not be my grave. Because one man rebelled. During his long visits he would murmur words of hope i was his vast symphony of stones the colossal work of an entire people. This man who was indignant about my sorry fate is no more than a poet but he believes in the power of the word. Have you recognized him. His name is victor here. In this here 1831 with the stroke of a pen he has saved these unpopular middle ages from oblivion and brought in chant went back to the old paris of my splendor. He repopulates me with imaginary figures. The beautiful as morel the and the hunchback quasi modo transform the way parisian see their old cathedral. The novel is a huge success and it bears my name noted. It will be the 1st stone of my 2nd founding. In 1844 the brand new commission for Historic Monuments ordered a major restoration of the cathedral of paris. The giant project was intrusted to 2 young architects heres the 1st one as certain eugene revealing the duke of his valley 30 years old with little experience but a confidence that is disconcerting. To believe him he knows what a gothic cathedral is better than maurice to sally. Eugene. How ridiculous a favor if youd walk in our office. Wonderful lets go. History has somewhat neglected his colleague and mentor at least last year but in the eyes of the commission he was the more qualified of the 2. I just heard from the commission theyre enthusiastic. But they would like to know how much all of this will cost. Lets not scare them now ive just had 2 or 3 ideas that i absolutely must discuss with you and what are these new ideas large scale work would begin once again but to be honest i didnt find this strange duo entirely reassuring words like you can clearly see the marks from offering to think d that its part of everything it stood for 6 centuries. And what a pleasure to see the teeming activity of a building site once more my course of scaffolding the warm aroma of the forge the music of chisels against stone all of the gestures that the craftsman have passed down over the centuries. The last. 3 on the priority is to reinforce everything that is collapsing. To replace ailing stones with brand new blocks. During the 1900 centuries marked by inequality elite artisans rub elbows with a crowd of laborers who sacrifice their health for a pittance. All this poverty would end badly. Stirs harm without suffering. 6 centuries of building modification and destruction had made me an enigma making sense of this puzzle would require the skill of a surgeon and the mind of a detective. This is how the duke turn the entire profession against him i was starting to like this 1000 century man who spoke of the middle ages as though he had lived at the time. Since childhood this brilliant draftsman dreamed of nights castles and gothic churches. During the course of his travels he had gathered tremendous knowledge which he was now putting to use for me by redesigning the ornamentation that had disappeared. But when sources were lacking he didnt hesitate to give his imagination free reign. He had such an intimate knowledge of god art that he was convinced its pure it came flooding back into his drawing. Thousands of drawing. That salvia lated duke began to cover my facades was entirely personal creation. A worried expression. Sullen faces. Threatening gargoyle. In late 847 after 3 years of construction and the till is already empty. They were able to reinforce the sections that were collapsing new statues were placed in the gallery of kings but its a far cry from the promises of the 2 architects who would announce the reworking of the windows and rose windows and the construction of us a christie. Ngo was rumbling in the capital. Elite to 48. 00 driven by misery and a thirst for liberty for reasons rose up once more against monarchy. So it would be the century of great revolution. I had already seen 3 forms of government since my restoration began monarchy a short lived republic and the 2nd empire which swore by a single disturbing word my danity. The capital shook beneath the largest building project in its history. By order of napoleon the 3rd Baron Haussmann cut avenues and boulevards through the city. My old paris had had its day. What would become of me in this new city. Someone would have to plead my case if construction were to resume. Until now my architects had skillfully navigated the changes and government but they were not in favor of the empire. How good our own histories are to weathervane. Always on the side of power from brasserie the job or at least do we really have a choice. Were not going to stop here. To charm the emperor to transform himself into a theater decorator. Brocades gilding well that cant be his heavy wall hangings. The architect proposed to prefer push me to host major imperial ceremonies. His drawings hit the bulls eye. Napoleon the 3rd and empress eugenie became infatuated with his meal gothic visions the resumption of work became an affair of state. The money that had been so sorely lacking would no longer be a problem. It is the year 853 and my architects now have carte blanche. Listening only to themselves relieved you can last or will enter feel in every way. There isnt a single block a single stitch or loop of my stone lace work that isnt scrutinized during their restoration. Despite protest the gallery windows are restored according to violate a dukes wishes. The flying buttresses are completely reworked and crowned with pinnacles. They said my was grizzling with an army of gargoyles. Criticism outs as village the duke is faulted for inventing a cathedral. That never existed instead of restoring it you may be surprised but i can imagine the structures of adam and eve the level of the rose wind an excellent idea. The restoration turns into one of session related you is not content with reinforcing the south rose window he orders it to be entirely disassembled and thailand by a half adult. He reconfigures each of the chapels. As a new reeling scabs. And bills as a crystal for which he designs all of the painted decorations and furniture down to the least ironwork. He also designs the liturgical objects including a relic wafer the holy crown bought by saint louis which was finally given to me. Was. Just 5 years after resuming work one final project remains building the medieval spire above the pillars of my transept. It had to be brought down a century earlier due to its damaged condition. The architects spend a long time observing my frame work studying the remains of my old spire amid this jungle of centuries old beams. They are familiar with its modest shape through numerous drawings. In view of all they had accomplished it was a small undertaking yet but fate decided otherwise. On july 15th 857 was you suddenly dies at nights they create all these but got them on dona nobis potter and she too would not see his finished work at most but my debt to him is no less great why dont i know his bunch. Who remembers all but useless you. Can recognize among the kings in my gallery the face of this generous and passionate grasp. Related to catalyst a friend and someone who kindly contradicted him. Rebuilding my spire was all that was left but my last architect was alone. Facing this century torn between his taste for the past and an insatiable thirst for modality my restoration work seemed anachronistic at a time when the Industrial Revolution was pro