The Archbishop of Paris proposed replacing Notre Dame's original stained glass windows with more modern designs. More than 120,000 people signed a petition against these plans, which they described as sabotage.
Archbishop Laurent Ulrich proposed replacing six stained glass windows on the south side of Notre Dame during the renovation. The world-famous cathedral is being restored after a major fire in 2019.
French President Emmanuel Macron supports the archbishop's idea. He announced the replacement plans during a visit to Notre Dame last month. New stained glass window designs will be selected through a competition.
Opponents describe the plans as sabotage and file a petition against them. They want the six windows in question, which were not destroyed in the fire, to remain intact.
The six windows were designed by architect Eugène Viollet-le Duc in such a way that together they form a whole and complement the rest of the cathedral. In the 19th century, the architect also designed the tower in the middle of the cathedral, which collapsed during a fire.
0:50A new golden rooster is raised on the tower of Notre Dame
The windows on the other side were largely destroyed during the fire
Art historian Didier Reckner, one of the initiators of the petition, believes that the windows on the other side are more suitable for the new design. Those windows were largely destroyed during the fire.
“This will also have a nice symbolic value,” Reckner says. Watchman. “In the north tower, the fire was the most threatening to the cathedral and firefighters risked their lives to protect the monument.” So Reckner suggests dedicating the new windows on this side to emergency responders.
The renovation of Notre Dame Cathedral is scheduled to be completed in December 2024.
