Notre Dame, a survivor of wars and revolutions, has stood for centuries as not merely the greatest of the Gothic cathedrals and a towering jewel of Western architecture. It has stood, in the words of one shell-shocked art expert, as "one of the great monuments to the best of civilization." Construction on Notre Dame — French for "Our Lady" — began in the 12th century and continued for nearly 200 years. Experts note that Notre Dame is an aesthetically smooth synthesis of different centuries. "For the French, my God, for the world, Notre Dame Cathedral represents what's most notable, what's most uplifting, what's most inspirational about the human project," he said.

Source: ABC News April 16, 2019 03:25 UTC