Notre Dame Cathedral Timeline

(1163 – Present)

Notre Dame de Paris is a medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité in Paris, France, widely regarded as one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture. Construction began in 1163 under Bishop Maurice de Sully and was largely completed by 1260. The cathedral has witnessed centuries of French history, suffered deterioration and vandalism, underwent major 19th-century restoration led by Viollet-le-Duc, and was severely damaged by fire in April 2019, sparking a massive international restoration effort that concluded with its reopening in December 2024. More Less

Go to: Timeline | Event List | Key Facts | Directory

Construction and Origins

Site cleared for Notre Dame construction

1160

Bishop Maurice de Sully proposed the ambitious project of a new cathedral in Paris, and the old Saint-Étienne cathedral was demolished to make room. The site on the Île de la Cité was prepared for what would become one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture.

Image source: Notre-Dame de Paris

Pope Alexander III lays foundation stone

1163

The cornerstone of Notre Dame Cathedral was laid, reportedly in the presence of Pope Alexander III, though the exact circumstances remain debated among historians. Bishop Maurice de Sully oversaw the beginning of the monumental construction project.

Completion of Notre Dame's choir

1177

The choir of Notre Dame was completed around 1177, allowing religious services to begin in the eastern end of the cathedral while construction continued on the rest of the massive structure.

Altar of Notre Dame consecrated

May 19, 1182

The high altar of Notre Dame was consecrated by Cardinal Henri de Château-Marçay in the presence of King Louis VII, marking a major milestone in the cathedral's construction.

Construction of Notre Dame nave completed

1196

The nave of Notre Dame was essentially complete by 1196, though work continued on the façade and towers. Bishop Maurice de Sully died that same year, having devoted his episcopate to the cathedral's creation.

Addition of flying buttresses to Notre Dame

1220

Flying buttresses were added around the choir and later the nave to support the thin walls and allow larger windows. These innovations became a defining feature of Gothic architecture and helped Notre Dame reach unprecedented heights.

Image source: Flying buttress

Notre Dame western façade completed

1225

The iconic west front of Notre Dame, with its twin towers and three portals, was largely finished by 1225, establishing one of the most recognizable façades in the world.

South rose window installed at Notre Dame

1260

The magnificent south transept rose window, nearly 13 meters in diameter, was completed around 1260 under Jean de Chelles, adding brilliant stained glass that remains one of the cathedral's most treasured features.

Main structure of Notre Dame completed

1345

After nearly two centuries of intermittent construction, the main structural work on Notre Dame Cathedral was finally completed in 1345, realizing Maurice de Sully's grand vision.

Historical Events

Coronation of Henry VI of England at Notre Dame

Dec 16, 1431

During the Hundred Years' War, the ten-year-old King Henry VI of England was crowned King of France inside Notre Dame, a controversial ceremony reflecting English claims to the French throne during the conflict.

Image source: Henry VI of England

Trial rehabilitation of Joan of Arc begins

Nov 7, 1455

A papal inquiry into the condemnation of Joan of Arc opened at Notre Dame, part of the process that posthumously rehabilitated the French heroine who had been burned as a heretic in 1431.

Image source: Rehabilitation trial of Joan of Arc

Huguenot rioting damages statues at Notre Dame

1548

During the French Wars of Religion, Huguenot mobs attacked Notre Dame and destroyed many of its statues and images, which they considered idolatrous, inflicting significant damage on the cathedral's sculpture.

Image source: Huguenots

Wedding of Henry IV celebrated at Notre Dame

1572

The marriage of Henry of Navarre (later Henry IV) and Margaret of Valois took place at Notre Dame amid the tensions surrounding the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre, making it one of the cathedral's most dramatic royal events.

Image source: Margaret of Valois

French Revolution desecrates Notre Dame

1793

Revolutionaries rededicated Notre Dame to the Cult of Reason, beheading or toppling statues of biblical kings, melting down bells, and looting treasures. The cathedral suffered some of the worst damage in its history.

Image source: Dechristianization of France during the French Revolution

Napoleon crowns himself Emperor at Notre Dame

Dec 2, 1804

In a lavish ceremony attended by Pope Pius VII, Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself Emperor of the French at Notre Dame and crowned Joséphine Empress, immortalized by Jacques-Louis David's famous painting.

Image source: Coronation of Napoleon and Joséphine

Requiem Mass held at Notre Dame for World War I dead

Nov 11, 1918

Following the armistice ending World War I, Notre Dame hosted solemn services of thanksgiving and mourning for France, honoring the millions who had died in the conflict.

Image source: Armistice of 11 November 1918

Notre Dame survives World War II largely intact

Aug 26, 1944

After the Liberation of Paris, crowds gathered outside Notre Dame for a Magnificat service celebrating the city's freedom. The cathedral had escaped major destruction despite the war engulfing Europe.

Image source: Liberation of Paris

Restorations and Preservation

Louis XIV orders modifications to Notre Dame

1699

King Louis XIV commissioned extensive alterations to Notre Dame to align it with Baroque taste. Hardouin-Mansart redesigned the east end, replacing medieval stained glass with white glass to brighten the interior.

Original spire removed from Notre Dame

1786

The original medieval flèche, or spire, of Notre Dame was dismantled due to damage and decay, leaving the crossing tower bare until Viollet-le-Duc rebuilt a new spire in the nineteenth century.

Image source: Spire of Notre-Dame de Paris

Major restoration led by Viollet-le-Duc begins

1844 - 1864

Architects Jean-Baptiste Lassus and Eugène Viollet-le-Duc began a comprehensive restoration of Notre Dame. Viollet-le-Duc added the famous new spire, restored statuary including the apostles, and added his own likeness among them.

Image source: Eugène Viollet-le-Duc

New spire of Notre Dame inaugurated

1859

Viollet-le-Duc's oak-and-lead flèche, rising about 90 meters above the crossing, was completed in 1859, becoming one of the defining silhouettes of the Paris skyline until its loss in 2019.

Great organ of Notre Dame rebuilt

1868

Master organ builder Aristide Cavaillé-Coll substantially rebuilt Notre Dame's great organ, creating an instrument of remarkable power and tonal beauty that remains central to the cathedral's musical life.

Image source: Aristide Cavaillé-Coll

Fire devastates Notre Dame Cathedral

Apr 15, 2019

A catastrophic fire broke out beneath the roof of Notre Dame during restoration works, destroying the medieval roof structure known as 'the forest,' collapsing the nineteenth-century spire, and damaging much of the upper building before firefighters saved the towers and main structure.

Image source: Notre-Dame fire

Firefighters save Notre Dame's towers and relics

Apr 15, 2019 - Apr 16, 2019

Paris firefighters battled through the night to prevent the fire from spreading to the bell towers and west façade. Priceless artifacts, including the Crown of Thorns, were rescued from the burning cathedral.

France pledges Notre Dame reconstruction within five years

Apr 16, 2019

President Emmanuel Macron pledged to rebuild Notre Dame within five years, and donations poured in from around the world, eventually exceeding 800 million euros for the restoration effort.

Image source: Notre-Dame de Paris

Final removal of melted scaffolding from Notre Dame

Jun 2020

Workers carefully removed the twisted scaffolding that had fused above the vaults during the fire, a delicate operation necessary before stabilization and reconstruction could fully proceed.

Modern Era

Victor Hugo publishes The Hunchback of Notre-Dame

1831

Victor Hugo published his novel about Quasimodo and Esmeralda set in and around Notre Dame. Its enormous popularity sparked renewed public interest in the neglected cathedral and galvanized calls for restoration.

Image source: The Hunchback of Notre-Dame

Notre Dame designated UNESCO World Heritage Site

1991

As part of the 'Paris, Banks of the Seine' inscription, Notre Dame Cathedral received UNESCO World Heritage status, recognizing its outstanding universal value as a masterpiece of Gothic architecture.

Image source: Paris

Millennium celebration at Notre Dame

Jan 1, 2000

Notre Dame played a prominent role in Paris's millennium celebrations, with special masses and ceremonies drawing global attention to the 850-year-old cathedral as it entered a new century.

Cathedral celebrates 850th anniversary

2012 - 2013

Notre Dame marked 850 years since the start of its construction with a year-long program of concerts, exhibitions, and services, along with the installation of a new set of bells cast to restore the cathedral's historic soundscape.

Key Facts

Construction of Notre Dame began in 1163 under Bishop Maurice de Sully and was largely completed by around 1260, making it one of the first Gothic cathedrals built over nearly a century.
The cathedral pioneered architectural innovations, including flying buttresses and some of the largest rose windows in Europe at the time of its construction.
In 1804, Notre Dame hosted the coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte as Emperor of the French.
Victor Hugo's 1831 novel 'The Hunchback of Notre-Dame' sparked renewed public interest in the cathedral, leading to a major restoration between 1844 and 1864 led by architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, who added the famous spire.
On April 15, 2019, a devastating fire destroyed the spire and much of the roof; after an extensive restoration effort, the cathedral reopened to the public in December 2024.

Source

This Notre Dame Cathedral timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

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