Notre Dame ignites the flame of discord

Abstract

The Notre Dame fire, of April 2019,  lit the flame of discord around heritage restoration  in general, and the emblematic cathedral in particular. The declared intentions of  the French government in relation to the issue, far from being unequivocal, evolved as the building refurbishment works  progressed. The final decision to preserve and restore Notre Dame, returning it to its pre-disaster state, clearly contradicts its initial statements. The determination suggests several lines of analysis From the theory of restoration enunciated by the set of International Charters, this decision is clearly debatable; however, if the analysis is contextualized based on knowledge of the history of monument conservation practices in France, it makes more sense. Still, setting aside both considerations, what is most revealing (and somewhat disappointing) is the prosaic nature of some of the reasons that led to this final determination. Everything seems to suggest that to comply with the work deadline scheduled for September 2024, the date of celebration of the Olympic Games in Paris, it was decided to follow the old ways , dismissing the challenge of  new methodologies, clearly more uncertain in its management processes And execution. All this happens in a context marked by imponderables, such as lead contamination, structural instability of the building, health contingency, among others. The following pages offer a critical analysis around this provisional thesis.