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Notre-Dame de Paris facts for kids

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Notre-Dame de Paris
Notre Dame de Paris DSC 0846w.jpg
48°51′11″N 2°20′59″E / 48.8530°N 2.3498°E / 48.8530; 2.3498
Location Parvis Notre-Dame – place Jean-Paul-II, Paris
Denomination Roman Catholic
Quick facts for kids
History
Status Damaged by fire
Architecture
Style French Gothic
Years built 1163–1345
Groundbreaking 1163 (1163)
Completed 1345
Specifications
Length 128 m (420 ft)
Width 48 m (157 ft)
Number of towers 2
Tower height 69 m (226 ft)
Number of spires 1 (destroyed by fire)
Spire height 91.44 m (300.0 ft) (formerly)
Bells 10
Administration
Archdiocese Paris
Notre Dame Paris Right side
View from right side

Notre Dame is a very old cathedral in Paris, France. It is one of France's most famous landmarks and many people visit it each year. The cathedral is on a small island on the River Seine. It is the cathedral of the Catholic Archdiocese of Paris, one of 23 archdioceses in France. The cathedral was built during two centuries. It is a very good example of Gothic Architecture in France. At the time it was finished, the cathedral was the biggest such building in Western Europe. Between 1844 and 1864, the building was renovated under the direction of Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, who incorporated elements into the design that the medieval building had not possessed before. The two rose windows which ornate the transept are among the biggest in Europe: each has a diameter of 13m.

The bronze plate in the parvis before the cathedral is the origin of all road distances in France calculated from Paris. The national geographic institute in France uses the building as a benchmark. The coordinates and altitude for this point are known precisely.

Victor Hugo wrote a famous story. The story takes place around the cathedral. The English title is 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame', and has also been turned in to a animated movie by Walt Disney but in French it is called 'Notre-Dame de Paris'.

Tradition has it that Notre-Dame’s first stone was laid in 1163 in the presence of Pope Alexander III.

2019 fire

On 15 April 2019, smoke and flames were sighted and the Cathedral was declared to be on fire. The fire burnt for over half a day and caused massive damage. Most works of art in the cathedral could be saved. The French government announced that the damage would be repaired and the cathedral would be rebuilt.

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Catedral de Notre Dame (París) para niños

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