This is Notre Dame of Paris. It stands on the Ile de la Cite.
Pope Alexander III laid the first stone in 1163 and, when the building was completed in 1330, it became a superb example of Gothic architecture.
At this, the western end of the cathedral, we can see the massive towers and the West Rose Window, the stained glass of which depicts the virgin Mary. The three main entrance doors below are richly decorated with statues.
On the left we have a view of the south-facing side of the cathedral and, in particular, the South Rose Window,
which depicts Christ surrounded by virgins, saints and the twelve apostles.
There is another such window, the North Rose Window, which portrays Mary surrounded by characters from the Old Tetsament.
Inside the church, the high-vaulted central nave is cut across by a large transept, at the two ends of which the north and south rose windows are situated.
At the eastern end of the church there are these remarkable flying buttresses, having a span of 15 metres (some 50 feet).
High vaulted buidings and large windows are a feature of the Gothic style. Walls, therefore, require extra support, which the flying buttresses provide. However, opinion is divided on
whether it was intended for buttresses to be permanent or just to provide temporary support while the mortar was setting.
