Notre-Dame de Paris: new stained glass windows or not ? The controversy continues

A project for modern stained glass windows in Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, supported by Emmanuel Macron, has sparked controversy. They could replace those by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, installed in 1864.

This Friday, November 29, the public will discover the interior of the restored Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris during a television program on France 2. Paris from 9:30 am. Emmanuel Macron will be present for the last site visit. This is his seventh visit since the fire of April 15, 2019.

The President of the Republic will meet in the nave 1,300 people who worked on the “construction site of the century”. He will be accompanied by the Archbishop of Paris, Mgr Laurent Ulrich, and the President of the public establishment for the restoration of Notre-Dame, Philippe Jost. Despite the emotion of the event, the stained glass windows of the cathedral continue to fuel a controversy.

Contemporary stained glass windows ? An “absurd” idea

As Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris reopens its doors on December 7, six contemporary stained glass windows are causing problems. Or rather, six new stained glass windows, which are supposed to replace those by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, installed in 1864. While the original windows are intact, Emmanuel Macron and the Archbishop of Paris, Monsignor Ulrich, wanted to bring a touch of modernity with new contemporary stained glass windows to preserve a trace of the 21st century in the rich history of the cathedral. For the moment, eight artists have been pre-selected by competition. A decision that does not please everyone. Art historian Didier Rykner finds the idea “absurd”. 

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“It is not against contemporary stained glass windows, it is against the idea of ​​replacing existing stained glass windows, which are classified as historical monuments, with stained glass windows that may or may not be good, it doesn't matter. It is not possible, these stained glass windows are very large, they are 120 m2 in surface area. So, they will go to the cash register, let's be clear. It is absurd,” he rants in the columns of RFI. He even launched an online petition to try to preserve the stained glass windows, it has so far collected 200,000 signatures.

The National Commission for Heritage and Architecture had spoken out against the installation of these new stained glass windows. Several associations are even prepared to go further, and in particular to to sue, like Sites et Monuments. Still with RFI, historian and writer Camille Pascal sees the initiative of including contemporary art in such a work as an opportunity: “That we can, from time to time, leave room for the expression of French contemporary art, that doesn't shock me at all,” he explains. According to the Elysée Palace, a “word of thanks” will be delivered by the Head of State at the end of his visit, intended for all the people who contributed to this extraordinary project.