Notre-Dame de Paris
Notre-Dame de Paris is the medieval Catholic cathedral that rises from the Ile de la Cite at the very heart of Paris, its twin western towers and flying buttresses forming one of the most recognisable silhouettes in the world. Begun in 1163 under Bishop Maurice de Sully and largely completed by 1345, it became a pinnacle of French Gothic architecture, famed for its rose windows, ribbed vaults and the sculptural richness of its facade. For centuries it served as the stage for coronations, royal weddings and state funerals, and Victor Hugo's 1831 novel cemented its place in the popular imagination.
On 15 April 2019 a catastrophic fire destroyed the spire and the oak-framed roof, sending shockwaves around the globe and prompting an extraordinary international fundraising effort. After more than five years of painstaking restoration, the cathedral reopened to worshippers and visitors in December 2024, its cleaned stone, rebuilt spire and restored interior gleaming as they had not in generations.
The building anchors the historic axis of Paris, with the bronze marker of Point Zero set in the square before it, from which all distances in France are measured. Drawing tens of millions toward it each year, Notre-Dame remains both a living place of Catholic worship and one of the supreme monuments of Western civilisation.
- Annual visitors
- ≈ 12,000,000
- Location
- 48.8530, 2.3499
- Local time
- 00:35 (Europe/Paris)
🕘 Visiting hours
| Mon–Wed | 07:50–19:00 |
| Thu | 07:50–22:00 |
| Fri | 07:50–19:00 |
| Sat–Sun | 08:15–19:30 |
Hours since Dec 2024 reopening; Thursday open late to 22:00; free entry, timed slot recommended.
✨ Saints & blessed venerated here
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Saint Louis IX Saint
Acquired the Crown of Thorns in 1239 and brought it to Notre-Dame; tied to the Passion relics in the axial reliquary chapel.
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Saint Denis Saint
Patron of Paris; statue on the west facade Portal of the Virgin and relics placed in the new spire rooster reliquary (2023).
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Saint Genevieve Saint
Patron of Paris; depicted on the west facade and relics enclosed in the restored spire rooster reliquary.
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Saint Joan of Arc Saint
Marble statue by Charles Desvergnes (1921) in the cathedral; beatified in a ceremony connected to Notre-Dame.
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Saint Therese of Lisieux Saint
Honored with a dedicated statue inside the cathedral alongside Joan of Arc.
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Saint Marcel Saint
Patron bishop of Paris; venerated and represented at the cathedral as a protecting saint of the city.
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Saint Stephen Saint
Depicted on the west facade Portal of the Virgin; cathedral stands on the site of an earlier church of Saint-Etienne.
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Pope Saint Sylvester Saint
Represented in sculpture on the west facade Portal of the Virgin.
Care & donations
Archdiocese of Paris
Donations accepted via the cathedral and Friends of Notre-Dame foundation
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