The idea of the construction of Notre-Dame de Paris was born in 1160 when the bishop of Paris, Maurice de Sully, decided to erect a magnificent church in the centre of the city. Having the financial support of king Louis VII, its foundations were laid in 1163. The event was attended by Pope Alexander III and upon the High Altar’s completion in 1182, the first mass was held by Maurice de Sully. The construction was fully completed in 1345 and from then on, the stunning Cathedral would be the pulsating heart of Parisian life, hosting in its courtyard feasts, public spectacles, weddings and coronations, even trials and executions. Among the major events that were held in the Cathedral were the coronation of Henry VI in 1431, the wedding of Mary, Queen of Scots to François, Dauphin of France, the marriage of Henri IV with Marguerite de Valois and the coronation of Napoleon I as Emperor of France in 1804.