Paris Judge Rejects Bid to Suspend the Replacement of Notre-Dame’s Windows
A Paris Administrative Court judge rejected a request to urgently suspend the removal of six 19th-century stained-glass windows by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc from Notre-Dame Cathedral, which are slated to be replaced by contemporary windows commissioned by the French government. The judge said the change is not irreversible because the new windows by artist Claire Tabouret and glassmakers Simon-Marq could be removed in the future and the original windows will be carefully preserved, though the ruling did not decide whether the project is legal. The plan, backed by French President Emmanuel Macron, has drawn major opposition since its 2024 announcement, including a petition that gathered more than 130,000 signatures within two days. Tabouret’s design, selected from 110 submissions, depicts a diverse group of worshippers during Pentecost and incorporates elements of Viollet-le-Duc’s original patterns; preservation group Sites & Monuments has indicated it will pursue further legal action. The original windows survived the 2019 fire that destroyed the cathedral’s spire and roof, and the cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site subject to conservation principles including the 1964 Venice Charter.
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This story was covered in Restitution Returns, Museums Under Legal Fire