Not Just Olympics: Reasons to Visit Paris December

① The 2024 Paris Olympics

The 33rd Summer Olympics will be held in Paris, France in 2024. This will be the first Summer Olympics to be held in Europe since the 2012 London Olympics, marking a 12-year gap.

The last time the Olympics were held in Paris, France’s capital, was in 1924.
This means that the 2024 Summer Olympics will be taking place in Paris exactly 100 years later.

With the Paris 2024 Olympics on the horizon, many people from around the world are expected to visit Paris. Although the Summer Olympics usually take place in July and August, there’s another reason to visit Paris in December.

② The Reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral After 5 Years

Notre Dame Cathedral is a masterpiece of French Gothic architecture that was completed over a period of about 180 years, starting in 1163. It is a symbol of Paris with a history of 860 years based on the time of its construction.

However, a fire broke out at Notre Dame Cathedral on April 15, 2019. The cause of the fire has not been determined, but it started during renovation work, causing the 315-foot spire to collapse and most of the wooden roof to be destroyed.

Fortunately, the basic structure of the cathedral and the collapse of the front tower were prevented after the fire was extinguished.
However, there were still tasks that needed to be done such as restoring the destroyed nave and choir, cleaning the interior of the cathedral, and rearranging the furniture.

French President Emmanuel Macron promised to rebuild the cathedral within 5 years after it was destroyed by the fire. However, the work was delayed due to concerns about lead contamination and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The promised reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral is in December 2024, five years after 2019.
Due to various reasons for the delay, the restoration work of Notre Dame Cathedral is expected to be completed between 2029 and 2030.

However, regardless of the completion of the restoration work, Notre Dame Cathedral will reopen to religious activities and the general public as scheduled on December 8, 2024.

③ Controversy Surrounding the Restoration

President Macron announced plans to build a museum near the cathedral to showcase its art and history as part of the rebuilding of Notre Dame Cathedral. In addition, he has faced backlash for his plans to install modern stained glass inside Notre Dame Cathedral.

He announced plans to replace six of the seven chapels’ existing stained glass windows in the nave with modern works to leave a trace of the 21st century.

The existing stained glass, which survived the fire in 2019, was designed by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, a leading architect and restorer of medieval buildings in the 19th century. Despite this, the old stained glass is too old and is scheduled to be removed, and it will be displayed in the new museum.

President Macron revealed that this replacement plan was also an idea of Archbishop Laurent Ulrich of Paris.
He added, “We want to engrave the traces of the 2019 fire, which we all felt as a wound, on the restored building.”

However, there has been criticism of a “lack of respect for cultural heritage” regarding this decision. Didier Rykner, the founder of France’s cultural magazine ‘La Tribune de l’Art’, launched a petition opposing President Macron’s plan and advocating for the preservation of the existing stained glass.

The petition states, “Le Duc’s stained glass windows were created as a consistent work considering the architectural unity and spatial hierarchy,” and “The stained glass loses its meaning if it leaves the cathedral.”

Meanwhile, netizens who heard the news of the restoration and reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral responded with comments such as “Even the restoration process is something to enjoy, it’s a cultural powerhouse,” “It was heartbreaking to see the spire collapse, but it’s amazing how quickly they’re restoring it,” and “Even if it takes some time, Notre Dame will be beautifully restored.”

By. Mia Han