Notre‑Dame Gargoyles: Stone, Water, Myth

Gargoyles at Notre‑Dame are hydraulic devices wearing mythic masks. Their protruding spouts protect stone from runoff; their forms invite stories.

💧 Drainage & Durability

• Water path: Roof runoff → gutters → gargoyle spouts → air.
• Splash control: Overhangs push water clear of façades.
• Maintenance: Joints and stone lips checked for erosion.

🐉 Myth & Meaning

• Chimeras: Imagined beasts that guard and warn.
• Urban theatre: Faces frame the city and the Seine.
• Photography: Twilight silhouettes become modern lore.

🔬 Stone & Weather

The gargoyle is a rain poem—architecture speaking in weather.