Everything started in 1163 and in 2019 the tragic fire destroyed centuries of history. The infamous Notre Dame Cathedral was built over the course of 200 years. From 1163 to 1345, which means it was built during the reign of King Louis VII. The cathedral was also close to being demolished back in 1804, but was saved by Napoleon who was later crowned emperor in 1804 inside the cathedral. The cathedral is still called “Our Lady” by the Roman Catholic Church when it would have been used every Sunday. It was the main seat for the Archbishop of Paris.

While talking about The Notre Dame Cathedral, you can’t forget about the infamous story of Joan of Arc. Joan of Arc was a peasant girl, who had claimed to have visions from God. During her story, she is claimed to have helped France in battles against the English troops using her visions and courage to help win the battles. She was supposed to support the monarchy. She was an amazing story of the church and helped France with numerous battles and indirectly helped lead to King Charles VII being crowned as king.

When you were able to visit the cathedral, most would admire the wonderful bell tower. The bell tower was exactly 140 steps to the top. While at the top of the tower you’d get a beautiful view of the city of Paris, all while admiring the monumental bell up close and personal.  There was a 17th-century organ, with all the parts still working, with 17th era engravings, shapes, and drawings. The church had numerous amounts of artwork, ranging from stained glass, engravings, and other mystical amounts of art throughout the Cathedral’s history.

The Cathedral was actually restored once in its history, and if was after World War II. The formal beauty came to the Cathedral during this restoration. The stained glass windows were actually taken down during the wars and were later placed back into their spots. The precautions were taken very seriously because one of the stained glass artworks, “Rose Window”, was believed to be the biggest stained glass window to be produced in the 13th century.