• 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. See more

• Towers on west façade (1220–1250)
• The gallery of chimeras pictured in 1910 by Georges Redon
• The 19th-century spire See more

• The earliest rose window, on the west façade (about 1225)
• The west rose window (about 1225)
• North rose window (about 1250) See more

One of the earliest organs at Notre-Dame, built in 1403 by Frédéric Schambantz, was rebuilt many times over the course of 300 years, however 12 pipes and some wood survive from this ancient instrument. It was replaced between 1730 and 1738 by François Thierry, … See more

It is believed that before the arrival of Christianity in France, a Gallo-Roman temple dedicated to Jupiter stood on the site of Notre-Dame. Evidence for this includes the Pillar of the Boatmen, discovered beneath the cathedral in 1710. In the 4th or 5th … See more

The Gothic cathedral was a liber pauperum, a "poor people's book", covered with sculptures vividly illustrating biblical stories, for the vast majority of parishioners who were illiterate. To add to the effect, all of the sculpture on the façades was … See more

Unlike some other French cathedrals, Notre-Dame was originally constructed without a crypt. In the medieval period, burials were made directly into the floor of the church, or in above-ground sarcophagi, some with tomb effigies (French: gisant). High-ranking clergy … See more