Notre-Dame de Paris: The Secrets of a Resurrection

Since the fire five years ago, Notre-Dame Cathedral has been fully restored—rebuilt, to be exact. This special issue looks back at the history of the cathedral’s construction, the origin of the materials used, and the profound modifications made to it over the centuries, right up to Viollet-Le-Duc’s decisive contribution in the 19th century.

We will then revisit the story of the evacuation of the remains, the dismantling of the first scaffolding, partly destroyed by the fire, the excavations organized during this period of study, and their revelations. Then, the restoration plan, its various stages, drawn up by the chief architects, and the list of trades that had to be called upon to achieve this resurrection: stone, wood, metal, glass.

We visited the artisans and craftspeople, specialists retained by the site management; we studied their specifications, the highly rigorous system for selecting the required contractors. Beyond the constraints imposed by the site management, we focused on three specific aspects of the restorations undertaken: light (what about the stained-glass windows? their cleaning and their replacement by modern stained-glass windows); music (how were the organs saved?); the future liturgical pathway. And the fundamental question: Is the cathedral still dedicated to the celebration of Catholic worship? Or is it now just a splendid heritage relic open to all? The Archbishop of Paris answers.