Notre-Dame de Paris

About this place

Construction of Notre-Dame began in 1163 on the Île de la Cité, placing the cathedral at the historic heart of Paris. Its Gothic builders used ribbed vaults and flying buttresses to create a lofty interior with large windows. Later centuries brought damage, restoration and changes in taste, so the monument is not the product of one uninterrupted medieval campaign. Look for the relationship between the exterior supports, sculpted entrances and rose windows. Together they reveal how engineering and religious imagery worked toward the same architectural purpose.