Are there any other churches in the world that compare to Notre Dame Cathedral in terms of architect, and history?

Grant Corriveau

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Are there any other churches in the world that compare to Notre Dame Cathedral in terms of architect, and history?

There are actually at least three other cathedrals in France that are similar to Notre-Dame in Paris in terms of architecture and history.

There is Chartres which is not quite as large as Notre-Dame but it is quite impressive in its own right. The statuary and stained glass windows are all quite incredible, and I am speaking from seeing it in person. One advantage in visiting Chartres is the fact that it was no where near as busy as Notre-Dame so it was possible to explore it at a more leisurely pace.

Chartres Cathedral

There is Amiens Cathedral which is actually bigger than Notre-Dame. The interior is well worth seeing for the statuary.

Amiens Cathedral

And there is Reims Cathedral which can easily be mistaken for being Notre-Dame to the untrained eye. For many years it was the site where the kings of France were crowned. In September 1914 it was mostly destroyed by fire but restoration work began in 1919 and was reopened to the public in 1938. It would be interesting to compare this to what has happened to Notre-Dame.

Reims Cathedral

England has a dazzling array of cathedrals although in my opinion none bear a striking resemblance to Notre-Dame because they have a tendency to have a Romanesque style of architecture rather than the Gothic style of Notre-Dame. I understand the most Gothic looking examples in England would be Canterbury and York Minster.

Canterbury Cathedral

York Minster

Germany and Italy each have their own examples of a Gothic cathedral. The most noteworthy one in Germany is Cologne. It is a massive building that took centuries to complete and had to be restored after being bombed during World War 2. Today it is one of Germany’s top tourist attractions. The most noteworthy one in Italy is Milan. It is not as old as Notre-Dame but it dates before Columbus and it is also a major tourist attraction. Both are rather different looking from Notre-Dame but they have similar very old histories.

Cologne Cathedral, Germany

Milan Cathedral, Italy

With the possible loss of Notre-Dame Cathedral with today’s disastrous fire let us hope this a call to action in better preserving and protecting these fantastic buildings. We may not be as religious as we once were but the architectural and historic significance of these structures cannot be dismissed.

Note: I did not mention St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City or St. Paul’s Cathedral in London but these buildings are Renaissance style as opposed to Gothic style. But they are fantastic churches that are noteworthy in their own right.