Notre-Dame Cathedral Window Replacement Project Defiantly Moves Forward

Despite opposition from the National Heritage Commission, the French Ministry of Culture is proceeding with plans to replace some historic stained glass windows at Notre-Dame Cathedral with contemporary artworks, according to La Croix International.

On September 4, the ministry announced eight finalists, including well-known artists such as Jean-Michel Alberola, Yan Pei-Ming, Daniel Buren, and Philippe Parreno, who will submit their final projects by November 4. 

The winner, to be chosen by Archbishop Laurent Ulrich of Paris and French President Emmanuel Macron, is set be announced by the scheduled date of the cathedral’s reopening, December 8. One finalist, Pascal Convert, withdrew following the National Heritage Commission’s disapproval of the plan, leaving seven of the finalists chosen by a committee chaired by Bernard Blistène, former director of the National Museum of Modern Art. 

The National Heritage Commission’s opposition to the replacement project stems from the fact that the windows, commissioned by 19th century architects Eugène Viollet-le-Duc and Jean-Baptiste Lassus, remained intact and undamaged by the 2019 fire that left one of the world’s most recognizable monuments in shambles. 

This decision to replace the windows sparked controversy, according to The Art Newspaper, with experts citing violations of the 1964 Venice Charter and cultural heritage guidelines, which advocate for the preservation of original elements unless absolutely necessary. While a petition against the plan has garnered over 147,000 signatures, Macron remains firm in his support for the project.