Learn about France: Architecture

Welcome to France, Tiny Travelers!

This week, we’re going to bring Notre Dame Cathedral to life! It is located in the capital of France, Paris, on a small island in the River Seine. 

There are lots of fascinating facts about this beautiful landmark to learn. The name “Notre Dame de Paris” literally means “Our Lady of Paris,” and the cathedral is famous for the story of the hunchback who once lived there and rang its bell! Have you heard of it? The hunchback must have been busy, because there are ten bells at Notre Dame, and they all have names — most of them come from Catholic saints, like Anne-Geneviève.

Notre Dame was built over 700 years ago, during the Middle Ages! It’s a great example of Gothic architecture, which you might recognize from dramatic features like stained glass windows (the cathedral has three, known as the rose windows), pointed arches, and elaborate decoration. 

For this week’s lesson let’s color a lively scene from the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, including the following elements:  

Accordion

South tower (right)

North tower (left)

River Seine

Beret


You might even feel a little gust of fall wind coming through as you color this lovely scene!


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