Notre Dame
Notre Dame de Paris or "our lady," is a gothic masterpiece that is central to the history of France. The Roman Catholic cathedral stands majestically on the Île de la Cité, the cradle of the city. Construction began in 1163 during the reign of Louis VII and Pope Alexander III laid the foundation stone. At the end of the 18th century, revolutionaries ransacked the cathedral, banished religion, changed it into a temple for the Cult of Reason, and then used it as a warehouse for the storage of food and wine. A twenty-three year restoration began in 1845 and the church has been undergoing maintenance ever since.

Fun Facts

• France's "Point zéro", the reference point for distances along the highways starting in Paris, is situated in the square in front of the cathedral. Tradition hold that tourists who stand on Point zéro will one day return to Paris.


• The cathedral was featured in the Disney animated film "The Hunchback of Notre Dame."

Link

Notre Dame