A conflict is brewing in France over plans to renovate the famous Notre Dame Cathedral. The organization Sites & Monuments has initiated a lawsuit in the Paris administrative court, opposing the replacement of six historic stained glass windows with modern works, despite the fact that the original stained glass windows were not damaged in the 2019 fire. This was reported by RIA Novosti.

The confrontation arose after President Emmanuel Macron proposed leaving a “modern mark” on the appearance of the restored cathedral by commissioning the creation of new stained glass windows to French artist Claire Tabouret. The project is planned to be completed by 2026. However, this decision has caused serious resistance from cultural heritage advocates.

Sites & Monuments is challenging not only the decision to replace the stained glass windows by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, but also the authority of the state institution responsible for the restoration of the cathedral to make such decisions. It is noteworthy that the original stained glass windows have already been restored for the December opening of the cathedral.

The initiative to preserve the historic stained glass windows has received broad public support. The petition launched by art historian Didier Rickner has already collected 245,000 signatures. The expert emphasizes that replacing the stained glass windows contradicts the legislation on the protection of world cultural heritage sites, and he considers the proposal to exhibit the original stained glass windows in the museum illogical.

Recall that after the devastating fire on April 15, 2019, which destroyed the spire of the cathedral and the unique eight-hundred-year-old wooden roof frame, 700 million euros were spent on the restoration of Notre Dame. The cathedral reopened its doors to visitors on December 8, having preserved most of its main relics.