Events - Event View

The devastating fire that engulfed Notre Dame Cathedral in April<br />2019 destroyed beloved parts of that iconic structure, including the timber<br />roof framework and crossing spire. But other crucial elements—notably the<br />13th-century stone vaults and flying- buttress support system—survived<br />miraculously intact.<br /><br />Restoration is proving to be a long and complicated – and<br />contentious – process as French officials, preservation specialists,<br />structural engineers, and art and architectural historians decide how to<br />rebuild. Should the destroyed “forest” of timbers from the roof be recreated<br />in wood, or are modern materials a better choice? Should the lead roof<br />covering, which in the aftermath of the fire blanketed neighborhood streets<br />with toxic residue, be restored or replaced? How much of architect Viollet-<br />le-Duc’s 19 th century reconstruction of the cathedral’s sculpture and<br />architecture should be restored; or should it be re-evaluated?<br />The ongoing reconstruction of Notre Dame is posing hard questions<br />of historic preservation and revealing strong opinions about what<br />constitutes a proper reconstruction of this iconic cathedral.<br /><br />Join art historian Judy Scott Feldman, PhD, for this talk open to friends and neighbors. RSVP for the Zoom link.