In 1163, according to tradition, Pope Alexander III laid the foundation stone of the new cathedral of Notre-Dame on the Ile de la Cite in Paris, ordered by Bishop Maurice de Sully. Built over nearly two centuries, it was one of the first great Gothic cathedrals, with pointed arches, ribbed vaults and flying buttresses that allowed tall walls with stained glass windows. The west front and its towers were completed around 1250, and the transepts and rose windows followed. It was damaged in the French Revolution, restored by Viollet-le-Duc from 1844, and badly damaged by fire on 15 April 2019. Its reopening took place in December 2024.
Before and after
- 31 May 1162Birth of Genghis Khan
- from 6 August 1162 to 1 January 1715Crown of Aragon
- from 1163 to 1169Crusader invasions of Egypt
- 1163Battle of al-Buqaia
- 1163Construction of Notre-Dame de Paris begins
- 28 July 1165Birth of Ibn Arabi
- c. 1167Origins of Copenhagen
- from 7 April 1167 to 1 January 1250Founding of Lombard League
- 1170Birth of Fibonacci
More in Art, literature & culture
- c. 500sRise of medieval music
- from 8th century to 9th centuryRise of Carolingian Renaissance
- 11th centuryPublication of The Song of Roland
- from 1140 to 1530Gothic art
- 1353Publication of The Decameron
- from 1478 to 1834Spanish Inquisition
The era
This moment belongs to the Medieval world (500 CE to 1500 CE), kingdoms, faiths and trade routes. You can also browse everything in the 12th century.