Construction of Notre-Dame de Paris began in 1163 under Bishop Maurice de Sully, with the foundation stone laid by Pope Alexander III. This masterpiece of French Gothic architecture was built on the Île de la Cité in the Seine River. The cathedral took nearly two centuries to complete, with the towers finished by 1250 and the structure finally completed in 1345.

Notre-Dame de Paris is one of the most frequently referenced buildings in world poetry, appearing in works from medieval French lyrics to Victor Hugo's epic poem and his novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, which spurred the cathedral's 19th-century restoration. The cathedral has also been invoked by modern poets as a symbol of Parisian identity, French history, and the endurance of faith and art through war and revolution.