Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris is one of the world’s most recognizable monuments. This quiz looks at its history, design, and the ongoing efforts to rebuild it.
You will see questions about its Gothic features, literary history, and the 2019 fire. Some questions are straightforward, while others ask you to recall specific dates.
Afterward, visit our quizzes on famous landmarks, learn about architectural styles, or explore sacred architecture.
In which city is the Notre-Dame Cathedral located?
Paris
Paris
Rome
Rome
London
London
Berlin
Berlin
Notre-Dame is considered a prime example of which architectural style?
Renaissance
Renaissance
Baroque
Baroque
Gothic
Gothic
Neoclassical
Neoclassical
Which French author wrote the 1831 novel that helped inspire interest in preserving the Notre-Dame cathedral?
Alexandre Dumas
Alexandre Dumas
Victor Hugo
Victor Hugo
Gustave Flaubert
Gustave Flaubert
Jules Verne
Jules Verne
In which year did the major fire occur that caused significant damage to the roof and spire of Notre-Dame?
2018
2018
2019
2019
2017
2017
2020
2020
What are ‘gargoyles’ on Notre-Dame primarily designed to serve as?
Decorated columns inside the main nave
Decorated columns inside the main nave
Supporting structures that distribute the weight of walls outwards
Supporting structures that distribute the weight of walls outwards
External stone carvings used as water spouts
External stone carvings used as water spouts
Stained glass windows depicting biblical stories
Stained glass windows depicting biblical stories
What architectural feature, famously prominent at Notre-Dame, allowed for thinner walls and larger window openings?
Flying buttresses
Flying buttresses
Rose windows
Rose windows
The west facade towers
The west facade towers
The spire
The spire
Which Bishop of Paris is credited with initiating the construction of the cathedral in 1163?
Maurice de Sully
Maurice de Sully
Louis IX
Louis IX
Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte
Philip the Fair
Philip the Fair
What is the name of the cathedral bell-ringer and protagonist in Victor Hugo’s famous novel?
Pierre Gringoire
Pierre Gringoire
Quasimodo
Quasimodo
Captain Phoebus
Captain Phoebus
Claude Frollo
Claude Frollo
How many great rose windows, dating back to the 13th century, does Notre-Dame possess?
Four rose windows
Four rose windows
Two rose windows
Two rose windows
Five rose windows
Five rose windows
Three rose windows
Three rose windows
In which year was Napoleon Bonaparte crowned Emperor of the French inside Notre-Dame?
1804
1804
1806
1806
1808
1808
1802
1802
The 2019 fire most severely damaged which part of the cathedral’s structure?
The stained glass in the rose windows
The stained glass in the rose windows
The west portal sculptures
The west portal sculptures
The roof and nave vaulting
The roof and nave vaulting
The stone foundations
The stone foundations
Construction of the original Notre-Dame cathedral took approximately how long to complete?
150 years
150 years
100 years
100 years
250 years
250 years
200 years
200 years
The wooden roof structure of Notre-Dame that was destroyed in the 2019 fire was famously known by what nickname?
The Forest
The Forest
The Canopy
The Canopy
The Grove
The Grove
The Garden
The Garden
What is the correct term for the iconic, non-functional sculpted figures perched on the gallery level of the towers?
The chimerae
The chimerae
The gargoyles
The gargoyles
The portals
The portals
The flying buttresses
The flying buttresses
Which French architect led the major 19th-century restoration that added the cathedral’s famous spire?
Eugène Viollet-le-Duc
Eugène Viollet-le-Duc
Christopher Wren
Christopher Wren
Baron Haussmann
Baron Haussmann
Gustave Eiffel
Gustave Eiffel
Which major religious relic, held within the cathedral, was saved from the fire by firefighters and priests?
The Spear of Destiny
The Spear of Destiny
The True Cross fragment
The True Cross fragment
The Crown of Thorns
The Crown of Thorns
The Shroud of Turin
The Shroud of Turin
Which part of the exterior is famous for the ‘Gallery of Kings,’ featuring statues of the Kings of Judah?
The crypt
The crypt
The Western Front
The Western Front
The Transept portal
The Transept portal
The North wall
The North wall
The ongoing restoration of Notre-Dame has focused on using materials that match the original construction, such as which of the following?
Lime mortar and traditional joinery
Lime mortar and traditional joinery
Aluminum alloy piping
Aluminum alloy piping
Precast reinforced concrete
Precast reinforced concrete
Modern carbon fiber composite
Modern carbon fiber composite
Which of the cathedral’s rose windows is widely considered to have retained the most original 13th-century glass?
The South Rose window
The South Rose window
The West Rose window
The West Rose window
The North Rose window
The North Rose window
The East Rose window
The East Rose window
Following the 2019 fire, what was a major environmental concern for the local area near the cathedral?
Structural instability of the foundations
Structural instability of the foundations
The risk of lead contamination from the melting roof
The risk of lead contamination from the melting roof
The spire weight distribution
The spire weight distribution
Damage to the underground crypt archaeological site
Damage to the underground crypt archaeological site
Which major musical instrument, containing over 8,000 pipes, had to be painstakingly dismantled and cleaned due to dust and lead contamination after the fire?
The baptismal font
The baptismal font
The choir stalls
The choir stalls
The grand organ
The grand organ
The high altar
The high altar
Excavations under the cathedral square have revealed remnants of what earlier architectural period upon which Notre-Dame was constructed?
Merovingian temple ruins
Merovingian temple ruins
Gallic fortifications
Gallic fortifications
Romanesque ruins
Romanesque ruins
Viking settlement foundations
Viking settlement foundations
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