The iconic cathedral will reopen in December 2024, five years after the devastating fire in April 2019. French officials have proposed charging visitors 5 euros to visit Notre Dame, which would raise an estimated $81 million a year to renovate other churches, according to French Culture Minister Rachida Dati.
“Across Europe, tourists pay to enter the most remarkable religious sites. With 5 euros for each visitor to Notre Dame, we could save churches across France. It would be a beautiful symbol,” Minister Rachida Dati said in an interview with Le Figaro.
In a move to preserve and promote the value of architectural heritage, the French Ministry of Culture is considering a proposal to charge visitors to Notre Dame Cathedral.
France has some 42,000 Catholic churches, many of which are in disrepair. Experts estimate that every two weeks one religious building disappears due to neglect, fire or vandalism.
In 2022 alone, the French Interior Ministry allocated €57 million to religious heritage, and over the past five years, €280 million has been spent restoring more than 8,000 sites. However, many rural churches are still in serious disrepair. Notre Dame was once one of the most visited monuments in the world, attracting 12 to 14 million visitors a year.
While some people support it, others say the proposal is unreasonable. In France, the government has traditionally been responsible for the preservation of religious sites across the country, including 15,000 sites classified as historical monuments, and visitors to these sites are exempt from entrance fees.
This fee, although not large, will contribute significantly to the maintenance and restoration of not only Notre Dame Cathedral, but also many other churches across France that are deteriorating.
Notre Dame Cathedral is a religious building representing the Gothic architectural style on the Ile de la Cite island of Paris (France). It is also the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Paris. Built in 1163 near the Seine River, this architectural work took nearly 200 years to complete. The church has existed for more than 850 years, playing an important role in the history of the city's development.
Notre Dame Cathedral is undergoing reconstruction after a fire broke out in 2019. Parts of the building were severely damaged, including the roof and spire. President Emmanuel Macron has pledged to rebuild Notre Dame within five years, drawing on significant financial support from the private sector.
