The transept portals of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris

In the mid-13th century, the recently completed Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris received new transept façades with elaborate figural portals. This well-preserved architecture and sculpture reveals a lot: about the medieval master builders' eagerness to experiment, but also about how the Middle Ages were treated in the 19th century in terms of monument preservation. Using new methods and questions, a team of researchers from the University of Bamberg has investigated this over several years. This volume presents the results of this academic exchange. How can we imagine the planning and execution processes of this outstanding Parisian building lodge? What does the pictorial programme say about the self-image of its clerical clients? What is the relationship between the iconography and the portal, the place of installation? How has the appearance of the portals changed until today?