The cathedral was built during the reign of King Louis VII, on the eastern end of the Île de la Cité, an island in the Seine River near the historical center of Paris. In about 1160, Bishop Maurice de Sully proposed building a cathedral dedicated to the Virgin Mary (“Notre Dame” is French for “Our Lady”). It was the center of an urban project, and a church was demolished to make space.

Source: Los Angeles Times April 15, 2019 23:16 UTC