Notre-Dame Cathedral reopens Dec 8, 2024

Notre-Dame Cathedral 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, published in 1831. 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

Dec 8, 2018How lovely are your branches
Dec 8, 2019Mod gear
Dec 8, 2020A fortress in the sky
Dec 8, 2021Petrified Forest National Park
Dec 8, 2022The Cathedral of Florence, Italy
Dec 8, 2023La Rocque Harbour, Island of Jersey

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Aug 24, 2022Ukrainian Independence Day
Oct 22, 2025The Belogradchik Rocks in Bulgaria
May 6, 2022Bluebells in Hertfordshire, England
Sep 2, 2018Row, row, row your gondola
May 19, 2019High trekking season in Upper Mustang
Jun 2, 2024National Gardening Week
Feb 19, 2024Presidents Day
Oct 12, 2025Village of Saranac Lake, New York
Jun 26, 2025Horse Head Rock, New South Wales, Australia
Jun 23, 2025The Elbe in Dresden, Germany
Sep 9, 2019A toast to California!
May 22, 2023International Day for Biodiversity
Dec 27, 2020Turning darkness into light
Nov 9, 2019We heart Berlin
Dec 20, 2024Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland
Nov 19, 2020That bill s just not going to fit
Feb 18, 2024World Whale Day
Jun 16, 2019Happy Father s Day
Aug 17, 2025International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend
Jan 28, 2020US Coast Guard: Protecting us for 105 years
May 28, 2022Bungle Bungle Range in Purnululu National Park, Australia
Feb 7, 2021It s superb owl Sunday
Aug 2, 2024Virgin Islands National Park established
Apr 20, 2025Happy Easter!
Jul 11, 2018All is silent for Big Ben’s musical milestone
Feb 1, 2018Stuben am Arlberg, Austria
Sep 29, 2018Vietnam’s new bridge deserves a big hand
Oct 5, 2025World Teachers Day
Mar 11, 2025Broken Beach in Nusa Penida, Bali, Indonesia
Feb 9, 2022Ceremony Hall at Sweden s Icehotel