Notre-Dame de Paris

Image: Wikimedia Commons

On the Île de la Cité, in the heart of Paris, the cathedral of Notre-Dame, begun in 1163 under Bishop Maurice de Sully, is a masterpiece of Gothic art, the seat of the Archdiocese of Paris and the guardian of the relic of the Crown of Thorns; dedicated to the Virgin Mary, it celebrates its patronal feast on 15 August, the Assumption. The fire of 15 April 2019 destroyed its spire and roof before the eyes of the world, but thousands of craftsmen restored it in five years, and the cathedral reopened in glory on 7 and 8 December 2024, its rebuilt spire once more crowning the skyline. Millions of visitors and pilgrims have since streamed back to Our Lady of Paris, reborn from the flames.