Notre-Dame de Paris
Notre-Dame de Paris ; meaning " Our Lady of Paris " also known as Notre-Dame Cathedral or simply Notre-Dame , is a medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité in the fourth arrondissement of Paris , France. The cathedral is widely considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture . The innovative use of the rib vault and flying buttress , the enormous and colorful rose windows , and the naturalism and abundance of its sculptural decoration all set it apart from earlier Romanesque architecture . The cathedral was begun in 1160 and largely completed by 1260, though it was modified frequently in the following centuries. In the 1790s, Notre-Dame suffered desecration during the French Revolution when much of its religious imagery was damaged or destroyed. Soon after the publication of...