Restoration of Notre-Dame (close to our hotels) continues until the end of 2024, but while we wait to be able to visit the building once again, the Louvre has a selection og precious objects from the cathedral on show – relics, illuminated books, religious garb, paintings…

Over 120 pieces await you in the exhibition The Treasury of Notre-Dame Cathedral. For the first time, visitors can go back through time to see the objects belonging to the cathedral, including (thanks to engravings and paintings) many that were destroyed during the French Revolution.

A lot of items were originally donated (starting in the sixth century) by royal families wishing to show their gratitude to the church, while others were commissioned specially. Inventories dating back to the 13th century list help us date certain items and get an overview on the immensity of the collection.

And of course a lot of the items were meant to impress with extravagantly rich detailing. It’s rare to be able to see them close up.

While numerous articles were destroyed during the French Révolution in 1789, efforts were made to reconstitute the collection little by little, starting in the 19th century, in tandem with the cathedral’s restoration undertaken in 1843 by Jean-Baptiste Lassus and Eugène Viollet-le-Duc.

The exhibition displays some of the (often spectacular) furniture and wooden pieces designed by Viollet-le-Duc, as well as the preparatory sketches he made.

Such a collection of items may never been shown together again, so don’t miss it!

Linked with the exhibition, the museum has organised:

— mini-visits, or rather 20-minute introductions every Friday at 6.30, 7, 7.30 and 8pm,

— full guided visits every day at 10am,

— a workshop for families, Precious colours, every Sunday at 2pm, and a workshop for adults Illumination on the 13th, 18th and 27th Novembrer at 2pm,

— conferences, concerts, and a special cine-concert on 4th January at 3pm with a showing of Notre-Dame de Paris by Wallace Worsley (1923) with Jean-Baptiste Monnot accompanying on the organ…

All the events on offer can be consulted here (and French-speakers can get even more details in the press release embedded at the bottom of this article).

A catalogue of the exhibition is also available (336 pages, 170 illustration, 39€) here at your local amazon.

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The exhibition Le trésor de Notre-Dame de Paris (The Treasury of Notre-Dame Cathedral) is at the Louvre (here) until 29th January 2024

Open every day except Tuesdays from 9am-6pm (9.45pm Fridays). Last ticket 30 minutes before closing

Admission: 17€

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To check out the full press release for the exhibition click the ‘fullscreen’ button at the bottom right of the image below.