The Portal of the Virgin

The portal of the Virgin is the portal of the western façade located on the left. It was installed in the years 1210-1220, so after the portal Sainte-Anne, but the portal of the last judgement is slightly posterior.
According to the tradition of the Church, he traces the death of Mary, her ascent to paradise and her Coronation as Queen of heaven.

The portal of the Virgin is the portal of the Western facade located on the left. It was installed in the years 1210-1220, so after the Sainte-Anne Portal, but the Last judgement Portal It is slightly posterior.

According to the tradition of the Church, he traces the death of Mary, her ascent to paradise and her Coronation as Queen of heaven.
Just above the two doors, on the lower lintel *, three prophets Left three kings of the old testament to the right, hold phylactera indicating that God's promise was fulfilled: Jesus came to save mankind. Just above, on the upper lintel, Mary rests on her deathbed surrounded by Jesus and the twelve apostles. Two Angels placed at the head and feet of Mary raise her shroud and prevail in paradise.

In the Centre of the tympanic *, we find Mary, in paradise, sitting on the same throne as Jesus. She is then crowned by an Angel while Jesus blesses her and gives him the sceptre. She became Queen of heaven, Regina Caeli, in front of the entire celestial Court made up of angels, Patriarchs, Kings and prophets settled in the four successive * periods.

 

 

In the lower part, above the pier, we distinguish under a canopy representing the heavenly Jerusalem a large trunk: it is the Ark of the Covenant whose content once materialized the promise made by God to his people. Mary is now considered the new Ark of the Covenant, for by it came the one who fulfilled the promise to save mankind.

On either side of the two doors, we see nine statues in the foot redone in the nineteenth century by the Atelier de The Duke After the revolutionary destruction of 1793. One recognizes successively:
– on the left, the Emperor Constantine, an Angel, Saint Denis carrying his head and still an Angel
– to the trumeau, the Virgin and child
– right, St. John the Baptist, St. Stephen, St. Genevieve and Pope Saint Sylvester

Saint Denis and Sainte Geneviève are with Saint Marcel the patron saints of Paris.

The legs * of both doors are dedicated to life of men, which follows an immutable cycle. One can distinguish left and right, on the one hand signs of the Zodiac representing the twelve months of the year, on the other hand the work of the months. On the Central Pier are on the left the seasons, right the ages of life. These themes are repeated on the stained glass windows of the rose Ouest.

 

 

 

Light a candle at Notre-Dame