‘Building Notre Dame’ Examines Centuries-Long Construction of the Cathedral
How did the Notre Dame cathedral emerge over the centuries as one of the world’s most celebrated and beloved buildings?
Secrets of the Dead: Building Notre Dame premieres Tuesday April 28 on PBS, to take viewers on a major historical and scientific investigation into the construction of Notre Dame de Paris, which began in the 12th century and was completed several hundred years later.
Courtesy of 2014 Joseph Sinnoff
Standing alongside the builders of yesterday and today, uncover the vast architectural, technical, human, financial and political challenges experienced throughout the cathedral’s turbulent history.
We’ll hear from ten interviewees of note.
The construction of Notre Dame took full advantage of the technical innovations that defined Gothic architecture of the Middle Ages, including arches that allowed the cathedral’s vaults to rise higher and made it possible to install large bays of windows that rivaled the architecture of other churches of the time.
Secrets of the Dead: Building Notre Dame, Premiere, Tuesday, April 28, 8/7c, PBS (Check your local listings)
