Heritage officials have rejected the plan for modern stained glass windows for Notre-Dame Cathedral

source: www.sorbonne-universite.fr

Paris – The French Commission for Architecture and Cultural Heritage unanimously rejected President Emmanuel Macron's plan to replace the historical stained glass in the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris with modern works. Heritage conservationists dealt another blow to the project that arose following the fire at the monument five years ago, writes the newspaper Le Figaro. The commission's statement is not binding, yet it carries significant social weight.

The commission of heritage experts discussed for several hours, using a report by art historian Alexandre Gady as a basis. His analysis is based on the international charter on the restoration of historical monuments, which recommends not destroying works listed as monuments and not replacing them with modern pieces. The commission received Gady's report on Wednesday, but it is not available to the public.

The world-renowned architectural and ecclesiastical monument in the heart of Paris was engulfed in flames on April 15, 2019. The fire spread in the roofing and consumed large parts of the medieval building. However, the stained glass from the 19th century, created by Eugene Viollet-le-Duc, was not damaged.

Last December, during his visit to the restored monument, Macron supported the idea of contemporary decorations, and in April a competition for artworks was announced. Conversely, part of both the expert and lay public opposes this, arguing that the fire did not damage the stained glass, and thus it is neither necessary nor desirable to replace it. More than 140,000 people signed a petition against modern stained glass.

Despite the opinion of experts, the selection process for the designer of the new stained glass continues. A total of 83 candidates applied for the competition. An artistic committee appointed by the Ministry of Culture selected five finalists on June 27, but did not disclose their names. The winner is expected to be announced in November, and a prototype of the stained glass will be presented in December.

Current French post-election negotiations and the absence of an operational government are likely to delay the entire project, notes Le Figaro.