Notre Dame << `NOH` truh DAHM >>, Cathedral of, is a famous cathedral in Paris. It stands on the Ile de la Cite, a small island in the Seine River, in the center of Paris. The cathedral is dedicated to Notre Dame, the French expression for Our Lady, the Virgin Mary. The cathedral is one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture. A number of other cathedrals are also named Notre Dame, including those in Amiens, Chartres, and Reims, France.
The Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris stands on the site of two earlier churches. Construction of the present building occurred from 1163 to 1250. Notre Dame was one of the first buildings to have flying buttresses (arched exterior supports). The buttresses strengthen the walls and permit the use of large stained-glass windows that allow light to enter the building. The cathedral’s main entrances are elaborately decorated with stone sculptures.
Loading the player...Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris
During the French Revolution in the late 1700’s, Notre Dame was heavily damaged by mobs who regarded the church as a symbol of the hated monarchy. Beginning in 1845, the French architect Eugene Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc directed extensive restorations of Notre Dame. He also added a tall central spire to replace an older wooden spire that had been removed some years earlier because it had fallen into disrepair. Viollet-le-Duc was responsible for much of the cathedral’s present appearance.
On the evening of April 15, 2019, a devastating fire broke out in the cathedral, which had been undergoing extensive restoration work. The roof was destroyed, and the central spire collapsed in flames. However, the main structure survived. French President Emmanuel Macron pledged that the historic symbol of France would be rebuilt.
In 2019 and 2020, scaffolding and supports were built around the building, so that workers could safely remove the materials of the collapsed roof and spire. Reconstruction work began in 2022. The cathedral is expected to reopen in late 2024.
