Non-fiction
CHF67.90
Rebâtir Notre-Dame de Paris : le livre officiel de la restauration
French, Lours Mathieu, 2024
Everything you need for the grand opening of Notre-Dame
6.12.2024
Translation: machine translated
Just over five years after the devastating fire, the restored Notre-Dame in Paris is reopened in a festive ceremony. Here you can find the right products to join in the celebrations in the livestream.
The images of 15 April 2019, when the venerable Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris was engulfed in flames, went around the world. The damage caused by the fire was enormous: the roof truss and the interior of the cathedral were largely destroyed and the almost 100-metre-long spire collapsed.
An entire nation wept for one of Paris' most important landmarks and one of the oldest Gothic buildings in France. However, President Emmanuel Macron promised - almost defiantly in view of the immense damage - to rebuild Notre-Dame within five years.
Now the restored Notre-Dame will be ceremonially opened on Saturday, 7 December 2024 and reopened to the public. Macron has kept his promise, at least in part. While the interior of the cathedral will indeed shine in new splendour, the exterior work will still take some time, which despite all the joy is also causing criticism.
Like a phoenix from the ashes
Since the fire at Notre-Dame, every subsequent step has been watched and followed with suspicious eyes. Documentaries such as this one bear witness to this. Or you can browse through "Rebâtir Notre-Dame", the official book on the restoration.
I hope it also mentions that the reconstruction of the cathedral was planned using a 3D model. Or that Swedish architects proposed building a pool on the roof of Notre-Dame. God forbid
Fancy a good read?
There are plenty of books about Notre-Dame. Whether you are interested in the cathedral in general or very specifically in its transept façades, there is a non-fiction book about it. Or how about an illustrated book? After all, there must be something to the most visited landmark in Paris, which attracts over a dozen million tourists every year.
Non-fiction
CHF38.90
The transept portals of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris
German, Stephan Albrecht, Rainer Drewello, Stefan Breitling, 2021
If you want to introduce your children to the fascination of Notre-Dame, there are various options. Mais en français, s'il te plaît.
Children's books
CHF26.90
Bayard Jeunesse La grande aventure de Notre-Dame de Paris en cent épisodes
French, Brisou-Pellen Evelyne, Deroche Djilian, 2024
Children's books
CHF18.90
Bayard Jeunesse La grande histoire de Notre-Dame de Paris
French, Bordet-Petillon Sophie, 2024
Children's books
CHF12.90
Monstres et légendes. Le héros de Notre-Dame
French, Kérillis Hélène, Roché Vincent, 2024
The Notre-Dame is also a popular setting in fiction. Although a Rosamunde Pilcher-esque title like "The Women of Notre Dame" is much more likely to give me the creeps than "The Gargoyles of Notre Dame".
I prefer to read "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame" by Victor Hugo, which is still considered the greatest historical novel of the Romantic period. For lazy readers, it's also available as a graphic novel ... as a comic.
Buckle up, Quasimodo
Let's stay with the Hunchback for a moment. Victor Hugo's novel has been made into a film several times. The first one that comes to mind is the 1956 version, with Anthony Quinn as Quasimodo and Gina Lollobrigida as Esmeralda. Yes, I actually saw it once. And yes, I am old.
Most people will be familiar with the animated "Hunchback of Notre-Dame" by Disney from 1996. The fact that this children's film only loosely adheres to the extremely dark and tragic literary original is a given. But there are fun collectable figures from Funko on top.
Children's film + Family film
CHF12.90
Disney Interactive Studios The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Blu-ray, 1996, German
You are the master builder
Has the restoration of Notre-Dame awakened the architect and engineer in you? Then why not build it right away, at least the way it looked before the fire? Whether as a Lego model or a 3D puzzle, you are the master builder. And as such, you know that: What doesn't fit is made to fit.
The roof is on fire
Finally, a tip to those responsible at Notre-Dame: congratulations on the successful restoration. And now take care that the hut doesn't burn down again so quickly.
And to prevent the spark from igniting in the first place, you could of course impregnate the cathedral properly with fire protection spray. A few thousand bottles should be enough. De rien, bisous.
Header image: Shutterstock / Saskia B
I'm a full-blooded dad and husband, part-time nerd and chicken farmer, cat tamer and animal lover. I would like to know everything and yet I know nothing. I know even less, but I learn something new every day. What I am good at is dealing with words, spoken and written. And I get to prove that here.