Notre-Dame reopens 8 Dec 2024

Notre-Dame reopens

In the heart of Paris stands one of the city"s most enduring icons: Notre-Dame Cathedral. Built between the 12th and 13th centuries on the Île de la Cité—an island in the Seine—Notre-Dame has witnessed centuries of French history, from the Hundred Years" War to the French Revolution, and beyond. Although it was chosen by Napoleon as the site of his coronation as emperor in 1804, by the early 19th century, the cathedral was in a state of disrepair. However, one novel changed its fortunes: "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame" by Victor Hugo. The popularity of this book helped encourage a restoration project that renewed the cathedral"s former beauty.

© Julien Fromentin/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Birthplace of the Renaissance
8 Dec 2023La Rocque Harbour, Jersey
8 Dec 2025Christmas lights on buildings of Domaso, Lake Como, Italy

More Desktop Wallpapers:

3 Nov 2024International Day for Biosphere Reserves
18 Aug 2026Aerial view of Palmanova, a fortress city in Friuli, Italy
21 Apr 2026European hedgehog, France
We can all just get along
20 Oct 2023International Sloth Day
5 Dec 2023Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles, Bavaria, Germany
25 Feb 2026Mendenhall Glacier, Alaska, United States
7 Feb 2026Salar de Uyuni salt flats in Bolivia
Southern tip of a northern isle
When art imitates life
When ice imitates art
A scented sea of purple
The rolling hills of Moravia
Walking a rocky rainbow
27 Sep 2025Clark Range, Yosemite National Park, California, United States
18 Nov 2023Polar bear season in Manitoba
27 Oct 2023Sligachan Old Bridge, Isle of Skye, Scotland
20 May 2024World Bee Day
20 Nov 2025World in Progress by artist Saype in Geneva, Switzerland
13 Dec 2024Christmas market, St Stephens Basilica, Budapest, Hungary
7 May 2026Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, Arizona, United States
4 Jun 2025Cala Luna beach, Sardinia, Italy
Why is this cliffside ablaze?
6 Jul 2026Syracuse, Sicily, Italy
Aug 27, 2023Jeju Island, South Korea
Aug 21, 2023Discovery Day in Yukon, Canada
19 Apr 2024Ring of Brodgar, Orkney, Scotland
Who uses this grassy bridge?
23 Feb 2026Great white egret, Upper Bavaria, Germany
Drifting through Kerala