Notre-Dame de Paris
Notre-Dame, the cathedral of Paris, was begun in 1163 under Bishop Maurice de Sully and was largely finished by the middle of the fourteenth century. With its twin towers, its great rose windows and its flying buttresses, it is one of the masterpieces of Gothic architecture. Victor Hugo’s novel made it famous around the world.
On 15 April 2019 fire destroyed its roof and its nineteenth-century spire, while the whole world watched. The vaults held. Firefighters saved the towers, and the Crown of Thorns and the Blessed Sacrament were carried to safety. Donations poured in from every country, and craftsmen rebuilt the oak roof frame and the spire by traditional methods. The cathedral reopened on 7 December 2024, cleaner and brighter than it had been for centuries.
Before the fire it was the most visited monument in Europe, with some twelve million visitors a year. Visitor numbers since the reopening have been as high or higher. Entry is free.
- Built
- 1163 – c. 1345
- Style
- French Gothic
- Where
- Paris, France
- Map
- Find it on OpenStreetMap
- Read about
- The Crown of Thorns