NOTRE DAME
In 12th-century Paris – wealthy and looking to boost its status on the national stage – the conditions were ripe for embracing the new, sophisticated, artistic architectural style we now call ‘Gothic’. Sitting resplendently on Île de la Cité, the natural island in the centre of Paris’s Seine, is an early example, and still one of the finest – Notre Dame Cathedral. Started by Bishop Maurice de Sully in 1163 and completed in 1345, it’s a building that’s witnessed some of the key moments in France’s history, from the coronations of Henry VI and Napoleon Bonaparte, to the rioting of the Huguenots, pillaging of the Revolution and the beatification of Joan of Arc.
THE NEW STYLE