Many know of the Notre Dame cathedral or have heard its name on the news thanks to the disaster that took place on April 15, 2019. Before I delve into that tragedy, allow me to tell you pieces of its long history.

The cathedral is widely considered the heart of France, even more so than the Eiffel Tower, in part, because it is located at the center of Paris. Its history all started with one man, Maurice de Sully. In 1160, He initiated the idea to combine two smaller basilicas into one grand masterpiece. Pope Alexander III laid the foundation in 1163, on a small island called the Île de la Cité. Its completion wasn’t until 1345.

Over the years leading up to 1789 the cathedral had been through war and was ransacked of its valuables, its spire dismantled and statues destroyed. It became the temple of reason and then a wine house. Some even planned to have it demolished and its stones sold but Notre Dame stood firm through it all.

In 1802, Notre Dame returned to Catholic worship, becoming the setting of the Sacrament and coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte as Emperor of the French by Pope Pius VII.

After years of neglect following the Revolution, the rigors of time and the disinterest of Parisians, Notre Dame decayed. Fortunately, in 1831, Victor Hugo honored the noble cathedral in his book “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”

His book brought a sense of rediscovery to Notre Dame inspiring the renovations that it sorely needed.

Jumping forward to 2019, a fire broke out causing the roof and spire to be set ablaze, and 860 years of history was almost destroyed forever as the world watched helplessly.

During the unsettling time of planning if the cathedral could be rebuilt or not, an unexpected partnership between the architectural engineers and a video game company, Ubisoft, sparked hope.

Ubisoft’s designers, artists, and historians dedicated years of research to historical sites in hopes of making their game, Assassin’s Creed Unity, as historically accurate as possible.

Their attention to detail in their 3D model has made it possible to recreate everything as it was, from the layout of the pews to the color of the stained glass windows.

The engineers set a goal in 2019 that Notre Dame will be reopened by the end of 2024. With all the progress and support worldwide, they might just make it.

If you’d like a more detailed history about Notre Dame, you can find books at our libraries and on our Libby app.