Stone beasts watch over Paris from the cathedral towers and most travelers simply call them all gargoyles. However we clarify this common mistake on our Notre Dame tours Paris because the difference tells a story about architecture.
A Gargoyle is actually a functional tool. It is a stone pipe designed to throw rainwater away from the walls to prevent erosion. The word comes from the French word for throat. The famous monsters sitting on the balcony are actually Chimeras which architects added in the 1800s purely for atmosphere.
These creatures represent the chaos of the outside world compared to the safety of the church interior. Viewing the Notre Dame Cathedral Paris involves reading these symbols to understand the mindset of the people who built it. We teach you to spot the difference between the functional plumbing and the decorative art.
