Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris, France Dec 8, 2024

Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris, France

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:

Jul 10, 2024Collared aracari
Dec 30, 2025Whooper swans, Kotoku Pond, Japan
Dec 16, 2024Salzburg, Austria
Mar 26, 2026Logan Creek Suspension Bridge, West Coast Trail, Canada
Aug 5, 2025Tide pools in La Jolla, California, United States
A day for cousins of every stripe
An ugly duckling no more
Stretching to the sky
Mar 27, 2026World Theatre Day
Jan 15, 2025Chital, Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh
May 25, 2025Butchart Gardens in Brentwood Bay, British Columbia, Canada
Mar 18, 2026Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Portland, Oregon, United States
A 50-year balancing act
Nov 28, 2023Varandha Ghat,Bhor,Maharashtra, India
Nov 20, 2025Mother manatee and calf, Crystal River, Florida, United States
Nature at its colorful best
Paint the sky with colours
Oct 16, 2024Jurassic Coast, Dorset, United Kingdom
Apr 18, 2026World Heritage Day
Aug 3, 2025Blooming sunflowers
Feb 15, 2026Celebrating Maha Shivaratri
Sep 23, 2024Sea otter in Prince William Sound, Alaska, USA
Fragrant fields as far as the eye can see
Aug 22, 2024Aerial view of Ocean City, Maryland, USA
Jan 13, 2026Hen Galan
Jan 2, 2025Ardez village, Graubunden, Switzerland
Sep 4, 2024Dusky eagle-owls, Pakistan
Where is this ethereal mountain?
Oct 10, 2025Fiji Day
Mar 21, 2024International Day of Forests