Cathedral of Notre-Dame renovations, Paris

The Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris is undergoing much-needed renovations over the next 10 years.

The medieval Gothic architecture requires an extensive makeover to the exterior in particular. An estimated 150 million euros (USD $180 million) is needed. Much of the funds for the urgent restoration work will come from fund-raising by the Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris foundation, established in 2017.

Built in the 12th and 13th centuries, the cathedral receives 13 million visitors each year – roughly 30,000 visitors per day.

Recent renovations include replacement of the stained-glass windows of the nave in the 1960s; cleaning of the front facade in the 2000s; and the replacement of several bells in 2013 for the cathedral’s 850th anniversary.

The current restoration will focus on the flying buttresses and their decorative limestone pinnacles, the gargoyles, the lead-covered spire, and masonry at the back of the cathedral.

Philippe Villeneuve, the chief architect in charge of the cathedral’s renovation, indicated that the work will be difficult due to previous renoations using different stones, mortars, or techniques.

The Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris foundation estimates that the cathedral needs nearly $40 million for urgent repairs, and hopes to raise over $110 million over the next 10 years to complete the renovations. The French state, which owns the cathedral, currently contributes 2 million euros ($2.5 million) per year for maintenance and pledged to double it annually for the next 10 years.

MARTINA NICOLLSis an international aid and development consultant, and the authorof:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom(2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

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