The shooting and bombing assault by Islamist State (IS) group extremists was the worst post-World War Two atrocity in France.
The only surviving attacker, Salah Abdeslam, is in court with 13 other defendants at a purpose-built facility in Paris.
The trial is being described as the biggest in France's modern history.
Over the next nine months, there will be over 140 days of hearings involving about 330 lawyers and 1,800 survivors and relatives of victims. About 300 witnesses will be heard, including François Hollande, French president at the time of the attacks.
Ahead of the trial, Mr Hollande told French media that this was an important moment for the victims of the attacks, which he described as an "act of war" at the time.
IS admitted carrying out the attacks on the Bataclan concert hall, a major stadium, restaurants and bars on 13 November 2015.
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