Notre-Dame
| The Eastern end of the Island has been a place of worship for thousands of years; first a Stone Age Shrine then a small Christian church. in ll63, when Paris had a population of about 100,000, Bishop Maurice de Sully laid the foundations of Notre Dame de Paris, which was finished in l345. Most cathedrals have been added to bit by bit over the years, but this one was recognised as perfect from the start. over the years, and especially during the Revolution, it fell into decay, and was restored by Viollet-le-Duc in 1841-58. The spire and the gargoyles date from that time. French Kings were never crowned here - the place for that was Reims. Two Coronations which were held here were those of Henry VI of England and Napoleon I, who was not a King, but an Emperor . The towers are 230 feet high, and the view from them is nearly as good as the view of them. |
