Notre - Dame de Paris , also known as Notre-Dame Cathedral Notre - Dame or simply , is a historic Catholic cathedral on the eastern part of the Île de la Cité in the fourth arrondissement of Paris , France . This cathedral is widely regarded as one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in France and one of the largest churches in the world and the most famous . The naturalism sculptures and stained glass are in contrast to previous Romanesque architecture .
As the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Paris , Notre - Dame is the official seat of the Archbishop of Paris , Cardinal André Vingt during - Trois . Cathedral treasury is important to the company that houses several relics of the most important Catholic relic claimed class including the Crown of Thorns , a fragment of the True Cross , and one of the Holy Nails .
In the 1790s , Notre - Dame suffered desecration during the radical phase of the French Revolution when many religious imagery that is damaged or destroyed . An extensive restoration supervised by Eugène Viollet - le - Duc began in 1845 . A further restoration projects and maintenance began in 1991 .
Title : Notre Dame de Paris
Description : Notre - Dame de Paris , also known as Notre-Dame Cathedral Notre - Dame or simply , is a historic Catholic cathedral on the eastern...