The Cathedral of Notre-Dame, on the banks of the River Seine, was the brainchild of a 12th century Bishop of Paris, Maurice de Sully, who was a valued adviser of King Louis VII of France.
Sully decided Paris needed a magnificent cathedral, built in the fashionable Gothic style, and work got under way in 1163 after Pope Alexander III laid the foundation stone. Much of the building was completed in Sully's lifetime although work on the famous western facade, with the iconic towers, didn't start until after his death.
Image Source: Getty/ Barry King