| Notre-Dame de Paris | |
|---|---|
 South façade and the nave of Notre-Dame in 2017, two years before the fire | |
 | |
| 48°51′11″N 2°20′59″E / 48.8530°N 2.3498°E | |
| Location | Parvis Notre-Dame – Place Jean-Paul-II, Paris |
| Country | France |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
| Website | www |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | Replaced the Cathedral of Etienne |
| Status | Cathedral, minor basilica |
| Founded | 24 March 1163 to 25 April 1163 (laying of the cornerstone) |
| Founder(s) | Maurice de Sully |
| Consecrated | 19 May 1182 (high altar) |
| Relics held | Crown of Thorns, a nail from the Cross, and a sliver of the Cross |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Closed/Under renovation after the 2019 fire |
| Architectural type | Gothic |
| Style | French Gothic |
| Years built | 1163–1345 |
| Groundbreaking | 1163 |
| Completed | 1345 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 128 m (420 ft) |
| Width | 48 m (157 ft) |
| Nave height | 35 metres (115 ft)[1] |
| Number of towers | 2 |
| Tower height | 69 m (226 ft) |
| Number of spires | 1 (the third, completed 16 December 2023)[2] |
| Spire height | 96 m (315 ft) |
| Materials | Limestone |
| Bells | 10 (bronze) |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Paris |
| Clergy | |
| Archbishop | Laurent Ulrich |
| Rector | Olivier Ribadeau Dumas |
| Laity | |
| Director of music | Sylvain Dieudonné[3] |
| Organist(s) | Olivier Latry (since 1985); Vincent Dubois (since 2016); Thierry Escaich (since 2024); Thibault Fajoles (assistant organist, since 2024) |
| Criteria | I, II, IV[4] |
| Designated | 1991 |
| Part of | Paris, Banks of the Seine |
| Reference no. | 600 |
| Official name | Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris |
| Type | Cathédrale |
| Designated | 1862[5] |
| Reference no. | PA00086250 |
Notre-Dame de Paris (French: [nɔtʁ(ə) dam də paʁi] ; meaning "Our Lady of Paris"), often referred to simply as Notre-Dame,[a] is a medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité (an island in the River Seine), in the 4th arrondissement of Paris, France. The cathedral, dedicated in honour of the Virgin Mary (Our Lady), is considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture. Several attributes set it apart from the earlier Romanesque style, particularly its pioneering use of the rib vault and flying buttress, its enormous and colourful rose windows, and the naturalism and abundance of its sculptural decoration.[6] Notre-Dame is also exceptional for its three pipe organs (one historic) and its immense church bells.[7]
Built during the medieval era, construction of the cathedral began in 1163 under Bishop Maurice de Sully and was largely completed by 1260, though it was modified in succeeding centuries. In the 1790s, during the French Revolution, Notre-Dame suffered extensive desecration; much of its religious imagery was damaged or destroyed. In the 19th century, the coronation of Napoleon and the funerals of many of the French Republic's presidents took place at the cathedral. The 1831 publication of Victor Hugo's novel Notre-Dame de Paris (in English: The Hunchback of Notre-Dame) inspired interest which led to restoration between 1844 and 1864, supervised by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. On 26 August 1944, the Liberation of Paris from German occupation was celebrated in Notre-Dame with the singing of the Magnificat. Beginning in 1963, the cathedral's façade was cleaned of soot and grime. Another cleaning and restoration project was carried out between 1991 and 2000.[8] A fire in April 2019 caused serious damage and forced the cathedral to close for five years; it is planned to reopen on 8 December 2024.
The cathedral is a widely recognized symbol of the city of Paris and the French nation. In 1805, it was awarded honorary status as a minor basilica. As the cathedral of the archdiocese of Paris, Notre-Dame contains the cathedra of the archbishop of Paris (currently Laurent Ulrich). In the early 21st century, approximately 12 million people visited Notre-Dame annually, making it the most visited monument in Paris.[9] The cathedral is renowned for its Lent sermons, a tradition founded in the 1830s by the Dominican Jean-Baptiste Henri Lacordaire. These sermons have increasingly been given by leading public figures or government-employed academics.
Over time, the cathedral has gradually been stripped of many decorations and artworks. However, the cathedral still contains Gothic, Baroque, and 19th-century sculptures, 17th- and early 18th-century altarpieces, and some of the most important relics in Christendom – including the Crown of Thorns, and a sliver and nail from the True Cross.
- ^ Watkin, David (1986). A History of Western Architecture. Barrie and Jenkins. p. 134. ISBN 0-7126-1279-3.
- ^ Libert, Lucien (16 December 2023). "Notre-Dame rooster back on Paris cathedral's spire as renovation enters final stage". Reuters. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
- ^ "Musique Sacrée à Notre-Dame de Paris". msndp. Archived from the original on 15 April 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
- ^ Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Paris, Banks of the Seine". UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
- ^ Mérimée database 1993
- ^ Ducher 1988, pp. 46–62.
- ^ Chavis, Jason. "Facts on the Notre Dame Cathedral in France". Travel Tips - USA Today. Archived from the original on 17 June 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
- ^ "Historique de la construction" (in French). Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
- ^ "Paris facts". Paris Digest. 2018. Archived from the original on 8 September 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
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