Notre-Dame de Paris

A medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité in Paris, begun in 1163. Damaged by fire in 2019, it reopened in December 2024 after restoration.

Notre-Dame de Paris is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Paris, standing on the Île de la Cité, an island in the Seine. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary, “Our Lady”, it was begun in 1163 under Bishop Maurice de Sully and was largely completed by 1260.

With its pioneering rib vaults and flying buttresses, its huge rose windows and its abundant sculpture, it is one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture. Napoleon was crowned here in 1804, and Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel Notre-Dame de Paris stirred the interest that led to its restoration by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. A fire in April 2019 caused serious damage; after years of repairs the cathedral reopened in December 2024. It forms part of the World Heritage Site “Paris, Banks of the Seine”.