The West Portals of Notre-Dame in Paris
Final Report Abstract
The focus of the study was a structural archaeological investigation of the west portals of Notre- Dame in Paris. Of the three portals, only the central last judgement portal had previously been analyzed using archaeological methods. Corresponding studies on the side portals, on the relationship between the portals and on the relationship between the west façade and the nave of the cathedral have been lacking. As part of the reconstruction of Notre-Dame after the fire in 2019, the scaffolding provided an opportunity to closely analyze the masonry, sculpture, and colored paint. For the first time, the back wall of the façade was also included in the observations. The cleaning of the interior of the cathedral also made it possible to examine the capitals of the western bay of the façade, which had previously been hidden by layers of dirt. Together with my team, I made an accurate, stone-by-stone, three-dimensional survey of the three portals, which allowed an analysis of the proportions and geometric principles, a projection of the interior and exterior, and served as a basis for mapping. A newly measured floor plan and a photogrammetry of all the exterior walls of the cathedral were added as further research bases. On the one hand, the project was able to revise the state of research on the building history of the west façade in Paris, and on the other hand it brought new results on questions of planning, construction, manufacturing practice, dating, and finally also on the relationship between form and construction organization of a medieval cathedral building site and lodge. Contrary to the previous assumption (Bruzelius 1987) that the façade was built portal by portal from north to south in a longer process, I was able to prove that the west façade is temporally and structurally related to the lateral outer walls of the west nave and the pillars of the aisles of the interior. Since these pillars support the roof framework, the dendrochronological date of 1214 for the roof framework now provides a reliable terminus ante quem for the entire tower bays, including the façade. This block must have been built within a short period of time. An important part of this finding is that all three portals, despite major stylistic differences, were built at the same time and not one after the other, as previously assumed in the research literature. This in turn means that several workshops must have worked in close coordination at the same time. It was also possible to determine more precisely when the current facade was planned: On the newly surveyed floor plan, a change of plan can be seen: the course of the two southern arcades was altered to adapt them to the now fixed dimensions of the portals. The wide range of variations in design, style and construction during their simultaneous construction is one of the peculiarities of the Parisian portals, which will finally be evaluated in comparison.
Publications
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Le portail Sainte-Anne et la façade occidentale: observations sur l‘histoire du bâti. In: Berné, Damien (Hg.): Faire parler les pierres: sculptures médiévales de Notre-Dame; exposition, Paris, Musée national du moyen âge-Thermes de Cluny, Paris 2024, S. 58–64
Stephan Albrecht
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Die Setzungen an der Westfassade von Notre-Dame in Paris und ihre Auswirkungen auf das Weltgerichtsportal. Forschungen des Instituts für Archäologische Wissenschaften, Denkmalwissenschaften und Kunstgeschichte, 162-177. University of Bamberg Press.
Albrecht, Stephan & Menargues, Angel
