One of the world’s most popular monuments, Notre-Dame de Paris, is facing irreparable damage and looking to its American allies to help fund its restoration.
On Wednesday, Oct. 10 from 7-9 p.m., the French Cultural Center and Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris, are welcoming Francophones, Francophiles, history buffs, world travelers and all those who treasure the iconic French cathedral to join them for a lecture benefitting its repair and protection.
Each year, Notre-Dame de Paris welcomes more than 12 million visitors. However, despite its popularity and fame, the historical landmark is facing irreparable damage caused by pollution and, ironically, a former renovation. If left unattended, the monument could suffer a structural collapse.
Finding funding for the renovation has been difficult, as the responsibility for repairs is unclear in the agreement between the French government, which owns the cathedral, and the Catholic archdiocese of Paris, which uses it for free. The Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris, whose mission is to restore the cathedral, is looking to the international community to help protect the beloved cathedral by raising $114 million within five to 10 years.
As part of this effort, the French Cultural Center, located at 53 Marlborough St., is hosting a panel discussion benefitting the restoration. Michel Picaud, President of the Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris, and Dr. Mathias Seiffert from Harvard University’s Department of Romance Languages and Literature, will enlighten the audience on Notre-Dame’s unique and romantic history and its grave misfortune, including its infamous 1845 renovation and perilous situation today. The lecture will be followed by a cocktail reception with light refreshments.
All proceeds of this event will support the Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris and its mission of restoring the cathedral. To attend, register at http://frenchculturalcenter.org/events/rescuing-notre-dame-de-paris/. Guests and supporters may also make a tax-deductible contributions to the Friends of Notre-Dame, a nonprofit organization, at http://www.notredamedeparis.fr/friends/.