How old is Notre Dame?
It depends on to which part you are referring? Construction began in 1163. The choir was finished in 1182 followed by the Nave in 1208, and the towers sometime between 1225-1250. Other minor alterations and additions were carried out until the initial completion of construction in 1345. Over the next four hundred years, Notre Dame was pillaged, plundered, and partially deconstructed before falling into general disrepair by the time the French Revolution ravaged ParisAt one point, the interior spaces were even used as a food warehouse. In 1845, a twenty-three year long restoration project was begun by Lassus and Viollet-le-Duc. Further improvement projects have been undertaken periodically since then and today Notre Dame is one of the most beloved and widely recognized monuments in Paris.
