Analysis: A look at the Parisian cathedral's history as it re-opens after a five year €700 million renovation project following the 2019 fire
An icon of French Gothic architecture, Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris will reopen to the public this weekend after being closed for nearly five years following a major fire in April 2019. Much of its medieval roof was destroyed and released lead into the atmosphere.
Listed in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites since 1991 under 'Paris, Banks of the Seine', the cathedral dates from 1163. During its lifetime, Notre-Dame has borne witness to significant events in French, European and world history including war, pestilence and revolution. Commissioned under the reign of King Louis VII, it has seen almost 100 Popes as well as various different French kings, emperors and presidents.
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From RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland, Paris-based journalist and author Agnès Poirier on the imminent reopening of the famous Notre-Dame Cathedral after the devastating 2019 fire
The decision to build it was made by the bishop of Paris who wanted to erect a cathedral in honour of the Virgin Mary. It took the place of another Cathedral, the Cathedral of Saint-Étienne, which dated from around the 4th or 5th century. Located on the Île de la Cité, an island on the River Seine, it was completed in 1272, over 100 years after construction began.
Changes were made to the building in the decades after it was built and some of the more substantial modifications were made in the 18th century. This included the renovation of the choir which was decorated in the Baroque style. The vault of the nave was also reconstructed and work was carried out on the flying buttresses, galleries and terraces.
The 13th century spire was demolished in 1786, only to be rebuilt during the restoration carried out by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc in the 19th century. Viollet-le-Duc’s restoration came about after the writer Victor Hugo wrote Notre-Dame de Paris (The Hunchback of Notre Dame) in 1831, a novel which extolled the value of Gothic architecture and put the spotlight on the cathedral, which was much in need of care and attention after years of neglect.
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From RTÉ News, Macron visit offers first visit of renovated Notre-Dame cathedral
During the French Revolution, Notre-Dame experienced a revolution of its own. In November 1789, the National Assembly confiscated the Catholic Church's land holdings and Notre-Dame passed from being the property of the Archbishopric of Paris to the nation. Since then, it has been owned by the French state.
As a wave of anticlerical sentiment spread through the country, it was desecrated and pillaged. Statues dating back to 1230 depicting the Kings of Judea were taken down and decapitated. The bells were broken apart and melted down. Religion was evicted from the building during the period known as the Reign of Terror.
As Catholicism was outlawed in France in November 1793, the 'Cult of Reason' was established as a state-sponsored atheistic religion. Notre-Dame was renamed the 'Temple of Reason’ and a 'Festival of Reason' took place there. The altar was dismantled and an altar to Liberty was installed in its place. A stone inscription was placed over the building’s doors marked ‘To Philosophy’ and it was also used as a wine warehouse.
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From RTÉ Radio 1's The History Show, Dr Laura O'Brien on the long and storied history of Notre-Dame cathedral
Religion eventually returned to Notre-Dame and relations between France and the Catholic Church were smoothed out with the Concordat of 1801 signed by Napoleon Bonaparte and Pope Pius VII. As a sign of this new-found agreement, Notre-Dame was chosen as the site for the coronation of Emperor Napoleon I in December 1804 which was attended by the pope. Damage was inflicted on Notre-Dame during the July Revolution of 1830 when stained-glass windows were destroyed. The neighbouring Archbishop's Palace, which stood south of the cathedral and was built at the same time, was attacked in anti-clerical riots in January 1831 and had to be demolished as it was in such a poor state.
There is an unusual Irish connection to Notre-Dame. In February 1848, a funeral oration was read there for the political leader Daniel O'Connell. He had a long association with France, having received some of his schooling there but fled as the Reign of Terror gripped the country in 1793. He established a positive reputation for himself in France in the decades before his demise and has been described as the ‘most celebrated foreign politician’ in France during the 1830s and 1840s.
O'Connell's funeral oration was given by a Dominican monk named Henri-Dominique Lacordaire. Lacordaire admired O’Connell for his struggle for Catholic emancipation and referred to him in 1831 as the ‘Irish Pope’. A powerful speaker, Lacordaire had been preaching in the cathedral since the 1830s and his sermons frequently drew an attendance of thousands.
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From RTÉ News, death mask of Daniel O'Connell presented to the Office of Public Works by the Countess of Dunraven in 2019
One of O’Connell’s sons, John O'Connell, was present for the funeral oration which began with a quote from the Gospel of Matthew, ‘Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled’. The oration was subsequently printed in pamphlet form and it runs to 35 pages. At a reception held for John O’Connell by a Catholic youth organisation after the service, cries of ‘Vive O’Connell’ could be heard as well as ‘Vive la Liberté Religieuse’.
Notre-Dame has survived the ravages of time. This latest renovation, a costly one at around €700 million, is just one of many renovations that have taken place during its lifetime. It was the most visited tourist site in France in 2018, with around 13 million visitors per year or an average of 30,000 visitors a day. Those figures are only going to increase as visitors once again have the opportunity to visit this icon of French Gothic architecture and marvel at the history gathered within its walls.
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The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
