Notre Dame cathedral, which is set to reopen to the public on Sunday after a five-year restoration following a devastating fire, stands as a jewel of Gothic architecture, a symbol of Paris and a tourist mecca.
But behind the grandeur of the cathedral, which took 182 years to build from the 12th to the 14th century, lie some surprising stories. From medieval myths to modern-day mysteries, here are five special things to know about this Paris landmark:
1. The heart of France, literally
Notre Dame’s importance goes beyond its architecture and history – it is literally the point from which all roads in France begin.
In front of the cathedral, embedded in the cobblestones, lies a modest bronze-and-stone slab with the inscription point zéro des routes de France, meaning “starting point of the roads of France”. This plaque marks the starting point for measuring distances between Paris and other cities across the country.
While the plaque was installed in 1924, the idea of a national “ground zero” dates to 1769. King Louis XV envisioned a central reference for France’s growing network of roads, a concept that tied the nation’s geography to its heart in Paris.
2. The great gargoyle myth
Those scary stone creatures on Notre Dame might seem ancient, but not all of them are what they appear.
The actual gargoyles, which are monster-shaped gutters used to drain rainwater, have been around since the time of the cathedral’s construction. But the dramatic, monster-like figures often depicted on postcards and movies are chimera, and they’re much newer.