Experts urged Macron not to rush the restoration of Notre-Dame

Paris – Nearly 1,200 architects, conservators, and scientists from around the world have urged French President Emmanuel Macron to act with caution and responsibility regarding the restoration of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, which was recently damaged by a fire. The document was published by the French newspaper Le Figaro. Among its signatories is according to them Czech art historian Ivan Foletti from Masaryk University in Brno.

Le Figaro wrote that Macron's promise to reconstruct the cathedral within five years and to make it "even more beautiful" has raised concerns among experts. In addition, the government has proposed a special law related to the renovation that would allow it to bypass certain regulations concerning the protection of monuments.

The aim of the controversial measure, according to the French press, is to facilitate and expedite the work. However, critics of the regulation argue that the restoration could be rushed; they believe that renovating the monument will take at least ten years.

Experts in the letter to the head of the Élysée Palace, among other things, write that the reconstruction of the cathedral "is a challenge that transcends all political mandates and generations." They urge Macron to leave the decision about the future of the important Gothic monument to historians and experts.