Paris

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Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris

pl du Parvis-Notre-Dame, 4th

One of the absolute masterpieces of Gothic architecture, Notre-Dame was commissioned in 1160 by Bishop Maurice de Sully, who wanted to rival the new abbey that had just gone up in St-Denis. It was constructed between 1163 and 1334, and the amount of time and money spent on it reflected the city’s growing prestige. However, the cathedral was plundered during the French Revolution, and by the 19th century was looking pretty shabby.

The Gothic revivalist Viollet-le-Duc restored Notre-Dame to her former glory in the mid 19th century, although work has been going on ever since, with the replacement and cleaning of damaged and eroded finials and sculptures. In 1430 Henry VI of England was crowned here; Napoléon made himself Emperor here in 1804; and in 1909 it hosted the beatification of Joan of Arc (you’ll find a statue of her inside).

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