The latest in a series of controversies that have surrounded the renovation of Notre-Dame unfolded on Thursday, when a commission of heritage experts gave the green light to a revamp of the interior of the fire-stricken cathedral.
France’s National Heritage and Architecture Commission approved proposals by the diocese of Paris to bring a more modern look to Notre-Dame before its planned reopening in 2024, including the installation of contemporary artworks and new lighting effects. Opponents say the changes will debase the 850-year-old cathedral and disturb the harmony of its Gothic design.
The heritage commission also authorized cathedral administrators to rearrange the tabernacle and other items to create more room for visitors. Msgr. Patrick Chauvet, Notre-Dame’s rector, said the proposals would allow for an easier and more pleasant visit to the religious monument and create “a dialogue” between Notre-Dame’s medieval architecture and new, more modern features.
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French authorities initially contemplated seizing the opportunity to significantly rework the cathedral’s architecture. Heritage experts eventually recommended that the monument be restored to its prior state and, last year, President Emmanuel Macron dropped the idea to replace the 19th-century spire with something more contemporary.1
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- 1. On Tuesday, about 100 public figures in France signed their names to an open letter in the conservative newspaper Le Figaro titled “Notre-Dame de Paris: What the fire spared, the diocese wants to destroy.” The signatories, who include Alain Finkielkraut and Pierre Nora from the prestigious Académie Française, said some proposals recalled “‘immersive’ cultural projects where, often, inanity vies with kitsch.” Le Monde newspaper said the proposals had led to a fierce battle within the French Catholic Church between “advocates of modernity and ecumenism and the guardians of a nostalgic conservatism.”
