Notre Dame de Paris (French for “Our Lady of Paris“) Notre Dame began construction in 1163 and continued in different stages until about 1345 – just shy of 200 years. The gargoyles that act as drain pipes have always been there, the original chimiras – (a mythical or grotesque figure), were destroyed in the 1700′s due to their horrific and probably unchrist-like appearance. What you see now is the restoration completed in the early 1800′s and created with the original Gothic beasts in mind. The majority of the figures appear in whats know as The Gallery of the Chimara in an area that link the two main towers above the Gallery.
