FROM DEMISE TO SPLENDOR: A STORY OF NOTRE-DAME 1789-1846

Abstract

I retrace the history of the Notre-Dame Cathedral from the French Revolution to the beginning of major renovations in 1846 through the stories of 3 Frenchmen that each majorly contributed to the future of the cathedral: Henri Grégoire, Victor Hugo, and Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. Considering the current state of the cathedral after the fire, I argue that this period of history is especially important to be studied at this time and that it can provide important lessons for today’s leaders in restoring and rebuilding the Cathedral.