Food for the Soul: Notre Dame Is Back!

By Nina Heyn

Anyone who has been in Paris for more than a few days can’t help but notice the dichotomy of modernity and historical heritage, evident at every turn. For example, you access an ultra-modern Fondation Louis Vuitton building designed by Frank Gehry by walking past the old fence ironwork of the Jardin d’Acclimatation built in the mid-19th century. The venerated 17th-century Louvre buildings have I.I. Pei’s glass pyramid amid the central courtyard. And in the middle of this old-new city of Paris, a few steps from phone accessory stores and overlooking rows of electric cars, sits its grandest structure of all—the cathedral of Notre-Dame.

Although everyone who has ever been to Paris probably has visited or seen Notre-Dame, if this took place at any time earlier than this year, the cathedral would have looked very different. There is a saying that there is a silver lining to every dark cloud, and in this case, the horrific fire in 2019 has allowed restoration of the venerated medieval relic in a way that only the latest and greatest in technology could have achieved. The pride and joy of the French—and probably of most visitors to Paris—Notre-Dame has been totally transformed. It used to be a dark-walled, slightly tired structure similar to all old churches throughout Europe, and normally, the modern, archeological approach to historic monuments would not have permitted any drastic scrubbing or modernizing. The fire turned out to be a game changer.

First, a bit of the cathedral’s history. After its foundation stone was laid in 1163, its construction lasted well into the 13th century—done in stages between 1182 to 1270, to be exact. In the 17th century, the Sun King Louis XIV had some major redecoration done. At the start of the French Revolution in 1789, all of the bronze, lead, and precious metals were taken out and melted down, and soon after, the building was stripped of its religious status and declared a “Temple of Reason,” becoming, however, less a temple to enlightenment and more of a neglected place for squatters. Napoleon restored cathedral status to the building (but retained the French state’s ownership) just in time for his coronation in 1804.

The present look of the cathedral—the metal spire that so spectacularly toppled during the fire and the gargoyles and other grotesque figures, immortalized by both Victor Hugo and Disney in the 1996 animated adaptation of Hugo’s novel, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame—is indebted to a 19th-century renovation by visionary architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. In fact, it all started with Hugo writing the novel in an attempt to save the dilapidated cathedral from planned demolition. His literary talent impressed King Louis-Philippe, who in 1844 ordered an overhaul of the crumbling edifice. Viollet-le-Duc undertook the monumental task, employing dozens of sculptors, glassmakers, stonemasons, and carpenters—and spending the enormous sum of about 12 million francs in the process. His restoration resulted in the new spire, new or recarved gargoyles, and a rebuilding of the front portal as well as countless interior repairs. He is immortalized at the cathedral because one of the bronze statues on the roof actually has his features.

Twentieth-century pollution was unkind to the cathedral’s stone. The photo below shows the grimy yellow-brown film on the internal column that the current restorers left for comparison inside the main nave.

It all literally came crashing down on April 15, 2019. The fire broke out at around 6:00 PM, and within two hours, the famous medieval “forest” of beams supporting the roof collapsed, additionally crushed by the metal spire that fell down as well. The whole world witnessed in horror the destruction of 800 years of cultural history.

The Macron administration announced that the restoration would start immediately and that it would be completed within five years. Amazingly, this is one political prediction that actually came true. During the rebuilding, the city installed benches just opposite the cathedral so that people could witness the process (this structure is still in place, affording a great photo vantage point).

Finally, in December 2024, the cathedral was reopened and now allows about 8,000 visitors a day. Centuries of bad restorations and pollution grime have been removed to astounding effect.

Before, the cathedral looked like a gloomy, cavernous space, with the feeling we would typically associate with “old church.” It now feels like a joyous, light-filled, spiritual space—so much closer to what it must have been like centuries ago when it was new. The outside stone that used to be yellowish gray is now white—the color of the original stone.

The restoration has also included placing polychromy on some cathedral elements, which is the way the church originally would have been decorated. The naked, gray-stone look of gothic cathedrals is mostly due to the passage of time rather than the original decorative design. Medieval churches and statues were actually brightly painted in primary colors—and it is that look that has been brought back in parts of the cathedral’s interior. The same “back to color” trend is now evident  in many medieval and Renaissance cathedrals throughout Europe, from Ghent to Siena.

Thanks to the cleanup of the stone, the walls are now almost white, revealing the original limestone color. The new lighting brings out the stone carvings and higher-up sections of the cathedral’s stonework and the ribbed ceiling—areas that used to be enveloped in gray shades.
 

Wood carvings of New Testament scenes have now been brought to life with new paint and gilding.

The spire from the Viollet-le-Duc restoration has been redone, and a new golden rooster weathervane (which is also a reliquary and a symbol of the French state that owns the cathedral) has been installed. The old one got twisted and charred in the fire; it is displayed at the cathedral as a demonstration of the damage endured.

Notre-Dame, saved from disappearing from our common cultural heritage, is once again ready for new generations of visitors.