The cathedral Notre-Dame de Paris  is one of the most enduring symbols of the French capital city. Hugo conceived of The Hunchback of Notre Dame as a story of the cathedral itself and devoted two chapters of the novel to describing it. He focused primarily on the Gothic architectural elements of the structure, including its flying buttresses, clerestory windows, and stained glass. Hugo identified Gothic architecture as the bearer of the cultural heritage of France and argued that, as such, it should be protected. At the time that the novel was written (between 1828 and 1831), Paris was verging on major changes that cumulatively threatened to destroy much of its cultural heritage. The French Revolution had resulted in the desacralization, decay, and consequent destruction of many Gothic cathedrals and churches. In the July Revolution of 1830, the French people expressed a desire to liberate themselves from the past. This uprising was driven by a condemnation of the forms and institutions associated with the traditional monarchical regime, and its leaders sought a new way forward.

In The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hugo recreates the vibrant, intense atmosphere of 15th-century life to remind his readers of the splendor and significance of Paris’s Gothic past. The book doubles as a plea for the preservation of the city’s historic Gothic architecture (and thus its heritage). His plea was met with great success. The first printing, by publisher Charles Gosselin, was distributed in four issues of 275 copies each, and the novel was instantly, incredibly popular. Many thousands of printings followed. The Hunchback of Notre Dame circulated widely, inspiring illustrations by lithographers, painters, book illustrators, and even cartoonists. Images from the novel (especially images of the cathedral) became known to individuals at all levels of society. Notre-Dame de Paris became a French national icon, and the proliferation of images of the cathedral helped revive the use and prestige of Gothic forms. An extensive program of renovation, overseen by French restoration specialist Eugène-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc, was undertaken in the mid-1840s, and in the latter half of the 19th century Gothic monuments began to regain their religious significance.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame has been adapted several times for the stage and screen. One of the most notable film versions was directed by William Dieterle; it was released in 1939 and starred Charles Laughton and Maureen O’Hara, though its happy ending diverged significantly from Hugo’s novel. Other screen adaptations include a 1923 silent film featuring Lon Chaney and a 1956 version starring Anthony Quinn and Gina Lollobrigida.