The city was born in ancient times on an island in the middle of the river. It was here on the Ile de la Cité—centuries before Christ—that the Romans conquered a local fishing tribe called the Parisii and founded a city named for them, Paris.

And on that island, built upon the ruins of a Roman temple, was the Notre-Dame Cathedral. Imagine the faith of the people who built this—breaking ground in 1163 on a building which wouldn’t be finished for 200 years. And the faithful have been worshipping in this church—inspired by its art and architecture—for more than 800 years. Gothic architects incorporated the latest technology—flying buttresses—to support the heavy rooftop. And its ghoulish gargoyles multi-task: They serve as fancy rainspouts and scare away the evil spirits.

The church is dedicated to “Our Lady” (or notre dame, in French). Mary cradles the baby Jesus while the rose window provides a majestic halo.

Heroically rebuilt (and looking brand new) after the tragic fire of 2019, today the beloved Notre-Dame is, as much as ever, a beacon of hope for the City of Light.

As beautiful and important as the Notre-Dame is, my favorite church interior is just a couple blocks away.

The Sainte-Chapelle, or Holy Chapel, is embedded in a historic complex of governmental buildings. The church’s muscular Gothic buttresses free the walls to be essentially window holders for the church’s stained glass.

Remarkably, most of the stained glass is original. What we’re looking at is exactly what visitors have marveled at for 800 years.