Bishop Maurice de Sully’s dream took nearly 200 years to realize, with construction spanning from 1163 to 1345. The cathedral suffered a great deal of alterations under the reigns of Louis XIV and Louis XV, but it sustained its worst damage by far during the Revolution, and was nearly destroyed. The statues gracing the portals were seen as symbols of royalty and were duly decapitated. It wasn’t until relatively recently, in 1977, that the heads were found on a Parisian construction site. These are now exhibited in the Musée de Cluny.

At the beginning of the 19th Century, Gothic art came into vogue again. This helped fuel widespread support for the cathedral’s restoration, with Victor Hugo leading the crusade. A restoration program was launched under the direction of Lassus and Viollet-le-Duc, with the latter consolidating the existing structures, erecting a new spire at the transept crossings, and replacing missing or damaged architectural elements that had been documented in old engravings, for example the statuary gracing the facade’s impressive portals.

Notre Dame’s history is closely intertwined with that of France’s. In 1239, King Saint Louis consigned the Crown of Thorns to the cathedral. In 1302, Philip the Fair opened the first States General here and 1455 saw the opening session of Joan of Arc’s “rehabilitation”. Two important royal events took place here as well: the young Henry VI was crowned King of England and France in 1431, and Napoleon I’s coronation was overseen by Pope Pius VII in December of 1804. Innumerable Te Deum and funeral ceremonies have been performed here for France’s major dignitaries, and in August of 1944, a special Te Deum was given celebrating the Liberation of Paris. On November 12, 1970, a Requiem Mass was performed for 80 heads of state in memory of General Charles de Gaulle.

A bronze plaque set into the square in front of Notre Dame symbolizes “Kilometer Zero” and serves as a geographical reference point to calculate the distance of all routes leading from the heart of Paris.