This is Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, France. In the summer of 2011 I was able to witness this beautiful building first hand while on a tour of Europe. The building's design was unlike anything I had seen before. The rose window, while plain on the exterior, sparkled inside when the afternoon sun and added a warmth to the otherwise cold and plain stone. While it is a beautiful representation of French Gothic architecture, Notre Dame truly is unique in its own right. Notre Dame is one of the first buildings to be constructed with arched external supports known as the flying buttress. The flying buttresses were used to support the thin walls of the cathedral and the tower grew taller and the stress of the weight began to bow the walls outward. Though the flying buttresses were an after thought, they have withstood the test of time. Notre Dame took almost 100 years to construct. The project began in 1160, but the cathedral was not completed until 1240. During this time, the cathedral had several project overseers and artists that put their own thoughts and style into the building's construction. Overall, Notre Dame gives the viewer a sense of stability and longevity. Its large stone walls and towering structure say to the viewer that the cathedral will be around for years to come.
yep its pretty amazing
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