On April 15, 2019, the world discovered, stunned and shocked, images of Notre-Dame on fire. While the rubble was still smoking, millions of people, of all nationalities, spontaneously mobilized to collect the money needed to restore the monument. Nearly one billion euros were raised. These donations were declarations of love for Notre-Dame Cathedral. They testified to our confidence in our ability to revive this sublime artistic and spiritual patrimony.
But today, this resurrection is seriously compromised by a project for developing the interior of the monument. The Diocese of Paris wants to take advantage of the restoration project to transform the interior of Notre-Dame into a project that would completely alter the decor and the liturgical space. The diocese believes that the destruction caused by the fire is an opportunity to transform the visitor's perception of the monument, even though the fire was limited to the roof and the spire and did not destroy any of the heritage inside.
These proposed changes affect the furniture, lighting, and circulation. The authors of this project are seeking to set up another route, another experience of the monument, even though Notre-Dame already offers a route, it is already a discourse. To take just one example, the organization conceived by Viollet-le-Duc is based on a principle of gradation of spaces that already existed at the end of the Middle Ages and that he restored. The first chapels have a summary decoration to allow a progressive rise towards the splendour of the choir. And so on. Everything was skilfully thought out and arbitrated.
But what the diocese envisions today reduces to nothing the conception patiently elaborated by Viollet-le-Duc. The project foresees the installation of removable benches, lighting that changes according to the seasons, video projections on the walls, etc. — in other words, the same fashionable (and therefore already terribly outdated) "mediation devices" that can be found in all "immersive" cultural projects, where often the silliness rivals the kitsch.
However, this tragic fire offers us an exceptional chance, an absolutely unique opportunity: the restoration of Viollet-le-Duc's decor. We are indeed in a position to bring back to life a coherent set of decor of great formal perfection. The brilliant architect, anxious to prolong and complete the work of the builders of the Middle Ages, had conceived a total work of art, matching architecture and decoration, painting and sculpture, cabinetmaking and goldsmithing, stained glass and lighting. Guided by a very precise vision of an artistic and spiritual ideal, he had elaborated and implemented the cathedral of cathedrals.
Let us respect the work of Viollet-le-Duc, let us respect the work of the artists and craftsmen who worked to give us this jewel, let us simply respect the patrimonial principles of an historic monument. This restoration project must allow us to rediscover the authenticity of the place and its experience, by placing the right works in the right places, in harmony and coherence.
France will be admired by all for having been able to carry out a restoration that will give back to the world a sublime monument. Our architects, our restorers, and all the craftsmen will have thus, in the words of the President of the Republic, made Notre-Dame more beautiful than before the fire — that is to say, as sublime as it was bequeathed to us.
(signed)
Jean-Claude Allard, General (2S)
Jean-Claude Allard, General (2S)
Pierre Arizzoli-Clémentel, Honorary Director General of the Château and Estate of Versailles and the Trianons, former head of mission for art history at the Académie de France in Rome, Villa Médicis.
Gérard Audinet, General Curator of Heritage
Pascal Avot, communication consultant
Françoise Baligand, honorary chief curator of heritage in charge of the conservation of religious heritage in the city of Douai
Stéphane Bern, television presenter, heritage advocate
Bernard Berthod, curator of the Fourvière Museum, emeritus consultant of the Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church
Sami Biasoni, Doctor of Philosophy, Essayist
Guillaume Bigot, General Director, IPAG Business School
Françoise Boudon, Architectural historian
Marion Boudon-Machuel, Professor of modern art history, University of Tours/CESR
Michel Bouleau, honorary administrative magistrate
Christophe Boutin, Professor of public law at the University of Caen
Jean-François Braunstein, Professor of philosophy at the University of Paris 1 Sorbonne
Jean-Marie Brohm, Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the University of Montpellier 3
Belinda Cannone, writer
Maria Teresa Caracciolo, honorary researcher at the CNRS, University of Lille 3, president of the association Cahiers d'Histoire de l'Art
Sébastien Celeri, heritage architect
Jean-Loup Champion, art historian, editor, sculptor
Élie Chouraqui, filmmaker
Maurice Culot, architect, author, publisher of architectural books, 2019 winner of the American Driehaus Architecture Prize
Sara Daniel, journalist, writer
Antoine Daudré-Vignier, architect D.P.L.G
Sophie Defrance, curator for the Romanesque collections, London, British Library
Jérôme Delaplanche, art historian
Damien Delgrossi, heritage conservation officer
Marie-Hélène Desjardins, retired chief curator of heritage
Albert Doja, professor of anthropology, University of Lille
Jean Dupèbe, professor emeritus of universities
Annick Duraffour, associate professor of modern literature
Valérie Expert, journalist
Michel Fichant, professor emeritus, Paris Sorbonne
Alain Finkielkraut, philosopher, member of the Académie française
Jean-Charles Fitoussi, filmmaker
Jacques Foucart, Honorary General Curator of Heritage (Louvre Museum, Department of Paintings)
Elisabeth Foucart-Walter, Honorary General Curator of Heritage (Musée du Louvre, Department of Paintings)
Angéline Foucray, gilder and ornamentalist
Renée Fregosi, philosopher and political scientist
Véronique Gerard Powell, honorary lecturer, Sorbonne University
Jean Giot, professor emeritus, University of Namur
Monique Gosselin-Noat, professor emeritus, Université Paris-Ouest-Nanterre
Thibaut Gress, former student of the École Normale Supérieure, agrégé and doctor in philosophy, teacher in CPGE
Yana Grinshpun, MCF Sciences du Langage Paris III
Philippe Gumplowicz, professor of musicology
François Hagnéré, Historian of art and architecture
Françoise Hamon, professor emeritus of history of heritage, Paris-Sorbonne
Philippe Hamon, professor emeritus Sorbonne Nouvelle
Hubert Heckmann, lecturer in French medieval literature at the University of Rouen
Philippe d'Iribarne, director of research, CNRS
Pierre Jacky, art historian
Jean-David Jumeau-Lafond, doctor in art history
Benoît Kanabus, doctor of philosophy, lecturer in private law and essayist
Maya Khadra, teacher, journalist
Jean-Pierre Krief, film director
Georges Kuzmanovic, president of Sovereign Republic
Françoise Laborde, journalist, essayist
Claire de Lalande, Curator of Heritage at the Dobrée Museum, Great Heritage of Loire-Atlantique
Hélène de Lauzun, former student of the Ecole Normale Supérieure de la rue d'Ulm, agrégée and doctor in history.
Thomas Lévy-Lasne, painter
Anne-Marie Le Pourhiet, Professor of public law at the University of Rennes 1
Bérénice Levet, doctor of philosophy, essayist
Alain Lompech, music critic and journalist
Fadila Maaroufi, director of the Observatory of Fundamentalisms (Brussels)
Antonin Macé de Lépinay, collections inspector, Mobilier national
Pierre Manent, philosopher
Aurélien Marcq, senior civil servant
J. Patrice Marandel, Honorary Chief Curator, Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Daniel Marchesseau, Honorary General Curator of Heritage
Isabelle de Mecquenem, professor of philosophy
Alain Mérot, professor emeritus of modern art history, Sorbonne-University
Naïma M'Faddel, essayist, city policy advisor, Knight of the National Order of Merit
Dominique Millet-Gérard, professor emeritus at the Sorbonne
Anne-Elisabeth Moutet, journalist
Matthieu Noli, writer
Pierre Nora, historian, member of the French Academy
Hala Oukili, journalist
Bernard Paqueteau, retired lecturer in sociology and diplomat in the field of cultural action
Rémi Pellet, Professor of Law, University of Paris
Jean-Marie Pérouse de Montclos, director of research at the CNRS
Pascal Prévost, hospital surgeon (retired)
Benjamin Randow, novelist
Olivier de Rohan-Chabot, president of the Sauvegarde de l'Art français
Jean-Marie Rouart, writer, member of the Académie française
François Roudaut, university professor
Catherine Rouvier, Doctor of State in Public Law, Lawyer, University lecturer
Clotilde Roy, art historian
Didier Rykner, editorial director of La Tribune de l'Art
Xavier-Laurent Salvador, lecturer in medieval linguistics
Marc Scherer, State curator of libraries
Damien Serieyx, editor
Claire-Mélanie Sinnhuber, composer
Bruno Sire, honorary president of Toulouse Capitole University
Jeremy Stubbs, journalist, essayist and lecturer
Jean Szlamowicz, linguist, university professor
Wiktor Stoczkowski, director of studies at the EHESS
Pierre-André Taguieff, director of research at the CNRS
Pierre Téqui, art historian
André Tiran, professor emeritus, Université Lumière Lyon-2
Gennaro Toscano, university professor
Dominique Triaire, professor emeritus of universities (French literature)
Caroline Valentin, lawyer, essayist and editorialist
Sophie Valles, author
Pierre Vermeren, professor of history at Paris1
André Versaille, writer, documentarian
Marin de Viry, writer
Ibn Warraq, author
