Art Notes

Notre-Dame de Paris is the world’s most famous Gothic cathedral from the Middle Ages. Built on an island in the river Seine, in the historical section of Paris, Notre Dame sits upon the ruins of two earlier churches. Its foundation stone was laid in 1163 by Pope Alexander III, and the high altar was consecrated in 1189, but it took another two centuries to complete the cathedral.

Notre Dame suffered from damage and deterioration through the centuries, but it was during renovations in 2019 that a fire broke out in the attic, and destroyed most of the roof, Viollet-le-Duc’s 19th-century spire, and some of the rib vaulting. France and the world came together to restore Notre-Dame de Paris to its original, brilliant state. Thomas Kinkade Studios invites you to travel to Paris in late 2024 for the grand reopening of Notre Dame.