Stéphane Bern did not mince his words to express his opposition to the installation of six contemporary stained glass windows which should be installed on a facade of Notre-Dame de Paris as proposed by Emmanuel Macron. In an interview given to West FranceSaturday December 28, the historian and host expressed his desire to oppose it “with the approval of the Minister of Culture” in order to appeal against the project.
“I have nothing against contemporary stained glass windows. There are some at Chartres Cathedral and I took part in the collection. But I am in favor of them when the old ones are destroyed or deteriorated. We cannot remove stained glass windows classified as a Historic Monument”underlines Stéphane Bern. “Why does the State free itself from the rules it imposes on others? Just because the president wants it? »he asks.
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A project estimated at four million euros
In addition, the heritage defender pleads for a reorientation of the four million euros intended for the project towards the restoration of other elements of the cathedral or the creation of a “museum of the work”. “The money would be better used in contemporary stained glass windows instead of those by Viollet-Le-Duc. But hey, it's a wish of the president. So what the President wants, God wants, I have the impression! »he squeaks.
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Emmanuel Macron announced his intention to mark the Parisian monument of “the brand of the 21st century” and to leave a testimony of the fire on its walls. A proposal which nevertheless received strong criticism from heritage circles from the start. Last July, the National Commission for Heritage and Architecture gave a unanimous unfavorable opinion, in order to find a cathedral identical to the one it was before the fire.
