Notre-Dame. Notre-Dame de Paris, referred to simply as Notre-Dame, is a medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité, in the 4th arrondissement of Paris, France. The cathedral, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, 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. Notre-Dame also stands out for its three pipe organs and its immense church bells. 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 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. 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. In the early 21st century, approximately 12 million people visited Notre-Dame annually, making it the most visited monument in Paris. 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. On 15 April 2019, while Notre-Dame was undergoing renovation and restoration, its roof caught fire and burned for 15 hours. The cathedral sustained serious damage. The flèche was destroyed, as was most of the lead-covered wooden roof above the stone vaulted ceiling. This contaminated the site and nearby environment with lead. Restoration proposals suggested modernizing the cathedral, but the French National Assembly rejected them, enacting a law in July 2019 that required the restoration preserve the cathedral's historic, artistic and architectural interest. The task of stabilizing the building against potential collapse was completed in November 2020. The cathedral is expected to reopen on 8 December 2024; the date was confirmed by President Macron. 4th century-Cathedral of Saint Étienne, dedicated to Saint Stephen, built just west of present cathedral. 1163-Bishop Maurice de Sully begins construction of new cathedral. 1182 or 1185-Choir completed, clerestory with two levels: upper level of upright windows with pointed arches, still without tracery, lower level of small rose windows. c.-Construction of nave, with flying buttresses, completed. c.-1220-Construction of towers begins. c.-1220-Two new traverses join towers with nave. West rose window complete in 1220. After 1220-New flying buttresses added to choir walls, remodeling of the clerestories: pointed arched windows are enlarged downward, replacing the triforia, and get tracery. 1235-1245-Chapels constructed between buttresses of nave and choir. 1250-1260-North transept lengthened by Jean de Chelles to provide more light. North rose window constructed. 1270-South transept and rose window completed by Pierre de Montreuil. 1699-Beginning of major redecoration of interior in Louis XIV style by Hardouin Mansart and Robert de Cotte. 1725-1727-South rose window, poorly built, is reconstructed. Later entirely rebuilt in 1854. 1790-In the French Revolution the Revolutionary Paris Commune removes all bronze, lead, and precious metals from the cathedral to be melted down. 1793-The cathedral is converted into a Temple of Reason and then Temple of the Supreme Being.
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