Notre Dame
Paris, France
Style: High, b. 1163, c. 1250
Height: 295 ft

   The Gothic loftiness of Notre-Dame dominates the Seine and the Ile-de-la-Cite as well as the history of Paris. On the spot where this majestic cathedral now stands, the Romans had built a temple to Jupiter, which was followed by a Christian basilica and then a Romanesque church (the Cathedral of St. Etienne, founded by Childebert in 528). Notre-Dame de Paris seen from quai de Montebello Maurice de Sully, bishop of Paris, decided to build a new cathedral for the expanding population, dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Although construction started in 1163, it was not completed until roughly 180 years later in about 1345. Built in an age of illiteracy, the cathedral retells the stories of the Bible in its portals, paintings, and stained glass.