Notre-Dame reopens Dec. 8, 2024

Notre-Dame reopens

In the heart of Paris stands one of the city"s most enduring icons: Notre-Dame Cathedral. Built between the 12th and 13th centuries on the Île de la Cité—an island in the Seine—Notre-Dame has witnessed centuries of French history, from the Hundred Years" War to the French Revolution, and beyond. Although it was chosen by Napoleon as the site of his coronation as emperor in 1804, by the early 19th century, the cathedral was in a state of disrepair. However, one novel changed its fortunes: "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame" by Victor Hugo. The popularity of this book helped encourage a restoration project that renewed the cathedral"s former beauty.

© Julien Fromentin/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Birthplace of the Renaissance
Dec. 8, 2023La Rocque Harbour, Island of Jersey
Dec. 8, 2025Christmas lights on buildings of Domaso, Lake Como, Italy

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Oct. 26, 2025National Pumpkin Day
Aug. 30, 2023International Whale Shark Day
Nature’s blue wonder
Oct. 10, 2025Fiji Day
May 1, 2024Lei Day
A road not for the faint of heart
Dec. 30, 2025Whooper swans, Kotoku Pond, Japan
Oct. 27, 2025Thick-billed raven, Simien Mountains, Ethiopia
Apr. 14, 2025Atlantic spotted dolphins
Nov. 11, 2025Quiver trees, Keetmanshoop, Namibia
Apr. 16, 2024Union Square, Manhattan, New York, USA
Jan. 25, 2024Snowy owl
Apr. 20, 2026Buckets on maple trees collecting sap for maple syrup
Jan. 6, 2026Nuuk, Greenland
Mar. 8, 2024International Womens Day
Reflecting on Christmas
Aug. 22, 2024Aerial view of Ocean City, Maryland, USA
Oct. 29, 2023Bonaventure Cemetery, Savannah, Georgia, USA
Feb. 8, 2026Corfu at night, Greece
American Red Cross pioneers
Apr. 7, 2025Whistler World Ski & Snowboard Festival
Get in tune with International Jazz Day
Jan. 29, 2026Milwaukee City Hall, Wisconsin, United States
An experiment in sustainability
Sep. 24, 2025Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming, United States
Oct. 4, 2025Nuit Blanche Toronto
Where is this scenic view?
Nov. 29, 2023Rockefeller Centre Christmas tree lighting
Nothing says ‘San Francisco’ quite like...
Secluded sands in Mexico