Since 1768, the forecourt of Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral has been the starting point for the roads of France, defined by the " point zéro", a stone used as a kilometre marker to calculate distances between Paris and other cities. This brass medallion, adorned with a compass rose, had been on site since 1924 in its most recent form, but had to be removed in the wake of the terrible fire that ravaged the monument.
On July 1, 2025, it returned to its place on the forecourt and can once again be admired by visitors. However, it' s not the original... According to the City of Paris, it had been temporarily stored at the maintenance and supply center (CMA) to be cleaned and restored. But it turned out to be too badly damaged, so it was necessary to call on the skills of the metalworkers to remake it identically, in the same material.
The old historical ground zero will be recovered by the Carnavalet museum for archiving and perhaps one day display to the general public. If you saw it before the fire, you were lucky enough to see the real thing, almost the original! All that's left now is to return to the forecourt to admire the brand-new one!
Did you know? France's roads start at ground zero, in front of Notre-Dame de Paris.
Paris' long history gives it a number of advantages, not least that of being the starting point for all the roads in France. It has been the country's capital for centuries, and is home to ground zero, located on the forecourt of Notre-Dame Cathedral. [Read more]
Location
Parvis de Notre-Dame de Paris
6 parvis notre-dame
75004 Paris 4
Did you know? France's roads start at ground zero, in front of Notre-Dame de Paris.
