Notre Dame de Paris, Paris (France)

Notre Dame Cathedral is a cathedral, home to the episcopal throne of the Archdiocese of Paris, located on the island of Île de la Cité (between the Seine river) of the city of Paris, France. This is a Catholic church that epitomizes gothic architecture, but the creative use of the arched roof with flanks and flying buttresses, the windblown windows, and the giant colorful stained glass combine the The naturalness and abundance of sculptural decoration set it apart from earlier Roman architectural styles.

Construction of the church began in 1160 under Archbishop Maurice de Sully, with most of the work completed in 1260, although it underwent frequent renovations in later centuries. In the 1790s, Notre Dame was desecrated by the French Revolution; much of its religious image has been damaged or destroyed. In 1804, the church was the site of the coronation of Napoleon I as Emperor of France, and witnessed the baptism of Henri, Count of Chambord in 1821, and the funerals of several presidents of the third French Republic.