Notre-Dame Cathedral

Overview

Notre-Dame Cathedral is the Gothic Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité, an island in the river Seine in central Paris, France. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Paris and an active place of Catholic worship, holding daily Mass and drawing millions of visitors a year. The cathedral reopened in 2024 after years of reconstruction following a major fire in 2019. It stands within the UNESCO World Heritage Site Paris, Banks of the Seine.

Present

Notre-Dame Cathedral is owned by the French state and used by the Catholic Church as the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Paris. As a cathedral, it is the church that holds the seat, the cathedra, of the local bishop, here the Archbishop of Paris, and so serves as the mother church of Catholics in the city. It is a place of prayer, pilgrimage, and national religious ceremony, including state funerals and services marking moments of French history. In April 2019 a fire broke out in the roof, destroying the wooden roof structure and the 19th-century spire and causing extensive damage to the interior. A five-year restoration followed, funded largely by donations from around the world, and the cathedral reopened for worship in December 2024 with the consecration of a new altar.

Religious Significance

Notre-Dame Cathedral is a major site of Catholic Christianity and has been the principal church of the Archdiocese of Paris since the Middle Ages. It is dedicated to Mary, the mother of Jesus (Notre-Dame meaning "Our Lady"). The cathedral holds several relics, foremost the Crown of Thorns, which Christian tradition holds was placed on the head of Jesus at his crucifixion.

History & Structure

Notre-Dame Cathedral was completed by the middle of the 13th century. It stands on the Île de la Cité, the island in the Seine that has been the religious centre of Paris since Roman times. The cathedral is built of pale limestone in the shape of a cross, with twin square towers at the west front, a long nave, and flying buttresses, and large stained-glass windows. The cathedral forms part of the Paris, Banks of the Seine UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed in 1991.

Resources

• Official website: Notre-Dame de Paris
• UNESCO: Paris, Banks of the Seine