Notre-Dame the spiritual heart of Paris

Notre-Dame de Paris meaning "Our Lady of Paris” often referred to simply as Notre-Dame, is a medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité in Paris.

Île de la Cité is one of two remaining natural islands in the Seine within the city of Paris.

Almost every movie, spy novel or song about Paris will invariably mention the Notre Dame, Abba’s Our velvety hit Our Last Summer, for example.

The cathedral, which rivals the Eifel Tower as Paris’s most iconic feature, was on fire on Monday April 15, 2019 while undergoing renovation and restoration and sustained significant damage, including the collapse of the entire roof and the main spire.

The stone vault and interior remain largely intact; both towers were safe despite initial doubt that the North tower could be saved.

Below, a short history of the cathedral from the online enclyopaedia, which writes:

“The cathedral is considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture. Its innovative use of the rib vault and flying buttress, its enormous and colourful rose windows, and the naturalism and abundance of its sculptural decoration set it apart from the earlier Romanesque style.

The construction of the cathedral started in 1160 under Bishop Maurice de Sully and was largely complete by 1260, though it was modified frequently in the ensuing centuries.

In the 1790s, Notre-Dame suffered desecration during the French Revolution; much of its religious imagery was damaged or destroyed.

In 1804, the cathedral was the site of the Coronation of Napoleon I as Emperor of France, and witnessed the baptism of Henri, Count of Chambord in 1821 and the funerals of several presidents of the Third French Republic.

Popular interest in the cathedral blossomed soon after the publication, in 1831, of Victor Hugo's novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. This led to a major restoration project between 1844 and 1864, supervised by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, who added the cathedral's iconic spire.

The liberation of Paris was celebrated within Notre-Dame in 1944 with the singing of the Magnificat. Beginning in 1963, the façade of the cathedral was cleaned of centuries of soot and grime. Another cleaning and restoration project was carried out between 1991 and 2000.

The cathedral is one of the most widely recognized symbols of the city of Paris and the French nation. As the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Paris, Notre-Dame contains the cathedral of the Archbishop of Paris. Twelve million people visit Notre-Dame annually, making it the most visited monument in Paris.”