In this guide
What makes Notre-Dame Gothic?
Gothic architecture was born in the Paris region in the 1140s, at the Abbey of Saint-Denis, and Notre-Dame, started twenty years later, pushed it further. Four innovations work together:
- The pointed arch directs the weight of the vault downwards more efficiently than the round Romanesque arch.
- The rib vault concentrates the loads on a few points. At Notre-Dame the nave has sexpartite vaults, each bay divided into six sections, typical of early Gothic.
- Flying buttresses carry the outward thrust of the vaults over the side aisles to outer piers. Notre-Dame was one of the first buildings to use them on such a scale; the elegant single-span ones around the chevet date from the 14th century.
- Light: freed from carrying the vault, the walls could open up into stained glass windows.
The floor plan of Notre-Dame
Seen from above, Notre-Dame forms a Latin cross oriented west–east: you enter from the west, and the altar faces east, towards Jerusalem and the rising sun.
| Part | What it is | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| West façade | Main entrance with three portals | Last Judgment portal (center), Virgin portal (left), Saint Anne portal (right) |
| Nave | The long central space, with double side aisles | The height of the vault (about 33 m), the new lighting and furniture |
| Transept | The « arms » of the cross, barely projecting | The north and south rose windows facing each other |
| Crossing | Where nave and transept meet, under the spire | The new altar, and the spire’s position above it |
| Choir | The eastern part, reserved for the clergy | The 14th-century carved choir screen with scenes of the life of Christ |
| Ambulatory and chapels | The double walkway around the choir, with radiating chapels | The axial chapel, the Crown of Thorns reliquary, the restored chapels |
The visit follows the plan clockwise: in by the west portals, up the north (left) aisle, around the ambulatory behind the choir, back down the south aisle. Inside, the cathedral can hold several thousand people.
Reading the west façade
The façade, built about 1200–1250, is famous for its balance: it is divided into three horizontal levels and three vertical bands, almost a square topped by two towers.
- The three portals: the Portal of the Last Judgment in the center, with Christ judging the souls and the archangel Michael weighing them; the Portal of the Virgin on the left; the Portal of Saint Anne on the right, the oldest, reusing 12th-century sculptures.
- The Gallery of Kings: 28 statues of the kings of Judah, replaced in the 19th century after the originals were beheaded in 1793.
- The rose window level, with the west rose framed by statues of the Virgin and Child between two angels, and Adam and Eve.
- The great gallery and the Gallery of Chimeras, where the famous stone creatures sit (see our gargoyles and chimeras guide).
- The two towers, 69 m high, which were never given the spires originally planned. You can climb them: tower tickets and route.
The rose windows and stained glass
Notre-Dame has three rose windows, all of which survived the 2019 fire:
- The west rose (c. 1225, about 9.6 m in diameter), partly hidden from inside by the great organ, shows the Virgin surrounded by the signs of the zodiac, the labors of the months, and virtues and vices.
- The north rose (c. 1250, about 13 m), dominated by deep blues and violets, centers on the Virgin and Child surrounded by Old Testament figures. It retains a large part of its 13th-century glass.
- The south rose (c. 1260, about 13 m), given by King Saint Louis, features Christ surrounded by apostles, martyrs and wise virgins, and was heavily restored in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Most of the other windows of the nave are 19th- and 20th-century glass. The best time to see the roses glow is a sunny morning for the south and east, and late afternoon for the west.
The roof, the spire and the restoration
Above the stone vaults lies the timber roof frame, called « la Forêt » (the Forest) because of the number of oak beams. The medieval frame burned in 2019. The French authorities chose to rebuild it identically in oak, hand-hewn with axes like in the 13th century, using more than 1,000 oaks from French forests, and to cover it with lead as before.
The spire designed by Viollet-le-Duc in 1859 was rebuilt identically: 96 m high at the top of the cross, surrounded by copper statues of the twelve apostles and the four evangelist symbols, and crowned by a golden rooster. The restoration also cleaned the interior stone, revealing a pale golden limestone that surprises returning visitors.
Read also:Notre-Dame History: Who Built It, When, and How Long It Took (1163 to Today)
Is there a virtual tour or 3D model?
Yes. Before the fire, historian Andrew Tallon created a precise laser scan of the whole cathedral, which helped the restoration. Today, several 360° and augmented-reality experiences let you explore the building from home. We list them in Notre-Dame at night, photos and virtual tours.
Architecture quiz
Tap an answer to check it.
What kind of floor plan does Notre-Dame have?
A long nave and a short transept form a Latin cross, oriented west–east.
What do flying buttresses do?
They counter the outward thrust of the vaults, allowing tall, thin walls.
Which rose window keeps much of its 13th-century glass?
The north rose, c. 1250, has kept a large part of its original glass.
Frequently asked questions
What architectural style is Notre-Dame?
French Gothic, more precisely early or « High » Gothic, with pointed arches, rib vaults, flying buttresses and large stained glass windows.
What does the floor plan of Notre-Dame look like?
A Latin cross: a long nave with double side aisles, a short transept and a choir surrounded by a double ambulatory and radiating chapels.
How big are the rose windows of Notre-Dame?
The north and south roses are about 13 m (43 ft) in diameter; the west rose is about 9.6 m (31 ft).
Were the rose windows destroyed in the fire?
No. All three rose windows survived the 2019 fire and were cleaned during the restoration.
Who designed the spire of Notre-Dame?
Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, in 1859. It was rebuilt identically after the 2019 fire and completed in 2024.