What Treasures Were Held Inside Notre Dame Cathedral?

A building which took more than 200 years to build, but partly turned into ashes within no time, was the home to many treasures. The incident is not only hard to digest, but it also hurt the sentiments of the entire Christian community. Millions of tourists visit Notre Dame every year to witness the beauty of its classic architecture and history. From Napoleon’s coronation to the celebrations of France’s liberation from the Nazis, the cathedral has seen it all. There are various stunning treasures inside the Notre Dame which have their own history. The most significant ones are included in the list below:

Rose Windows

Inside the cathedral, there are beautiful stained glass windows which amaze the visitors every time. The stonework around them further enhances their beauty. There are a total of three windows which have been there since the 13th century. Unfortunately, the windows could not survive the fire and have now lost their original stained glass.

Crown of Thorns

The crown placed on Jesus’ head before he was crucified is one of the most precious relics in the cathedral. Luckily, the firefighters were able to rescue it from the fire.

Bells

There are ten bells inside Notre Dame Cathedral. The original ones were stolen during the French Revolution. Each bell is named after a saint in honor to their earliest versions. The largest bell is referred to as ‘Emmanuel’ which weighs around 13,000 kg.

The Tunic of Saint Louis

There is a white garment inside the cathedral which is believed to have belonged to Saint Louis. The tunic was kept as an artefact. According to reports, it was not effected by the deadly fire and hence survived the disaster.

Magnificent Paintings

Notre Dame is home to various large paintings which hold a great significance. Many canvases are dedicated to Mary the Virgin. The paintings were displayed in various chapels of Notre Dame Cathedral. The canvases could not be taken down during the time of the fire because of their excessive weight. It is assumed the paintings were not damaged by the fire itself, but by the smoke and water.

The Great Organ

Among the three organs in the church, The Great Organ is the largest one. It is made up of five keyboards and 8000 pipes. Thus, it was considered the biggest organ in the church. It was not directly effected by the fire, but was damaged by dust, water and debris.

Sculptures

Notre Dame Cathedral accommodates more than thirty religious sculptures. These sculptures are known as ‘grotesques’. It is believed that they serve the purpose of protecting the building from negative energies. Fortunately, religious statues were taken down a week before the fire for cleaning and restoration and were not damaged by the destructive fire.