Notre-Dame de Paris at the heart of the construction site, the free exhibition under the forecourt in photos

The Notre-Dame de Paris: au coeur du chantier exhibition, which takes place beneath the cathedral's forecourt, is now unveiled. From March 7, 2023, until the monument reopens, discover the work of the hundreds of men and women who are rebuilding the cathedral. It's an opportunity to immerse yourself in the highlights of the titanic construction site, to discover the work of the journeymen and craftsmen, and the challenges of reconstruction.

What if we went as close as possible to the construction site and plunged into the heart of the reconstruction of Notre-Dame de Paris? While the Cité de l'architecture et du patrimoine unveils a superb exhibition on the history of the building's construction and restorations, past and present, here we continue our discovery with an exhibition that opens to us free of charge this Tuesday, March 7, 2023.

"Notre-Dame de Paris: au coeur du chantier" (Notre-Dame de Paris: at the heart of the construction site) is the name of this exhibition, which takes place as close as possible to the monument, beneath the cathedral's forecourt.

On April 15, 2019, a terrible fire damaged Europe's most visited monument. In addition to wounding our hearts, the fire destroyed the wooden framework and its crossbeam, causing part of the vaulted ceilings to collapse. Following an outpouring of solidarity, no less than 845 million euros were raised to rebuild the building as close as possible to its original state.

Accessible without reservation until the reopening of Notre-Dame de Paris, scheduled for the end of 2024, this exhibition takes the visitor on a journey through the various operations on the building site, highlighting the know-how involved on a daily basis during the work.

Thanks to this exhibition, you can discover the highlights of the construction site. An educational scale model of the cathedral gives an idea of the titanic scale of the project. It's also an opportunity to get up close and personal with the remains of the fire and works of art from the cathedral. Last but not least, films highlighting the trades and skills of the journeymen and craftsmen who work on site every day are also on the program.

From the angel's head, which fell 33 meters, making it impossible to restore, to the stained glass windows that will return to their rightful place at the heart of the cathedral, some wonderful discoveries await you.

Discover :

1 immersive film on all the highlights, from April 15, 2019 to today.

1 educational model of the cathedral on a scale of ^1/55 to illustrate 6 key restoration operations.

8 thematic islands on the main worksite operations, with works of art, relics, diagrams, animated films and some 30 video vignettes on the site's trades.

1 trade fresco showcasing the full range of skills employed on the site.

Exposition Notre-Dame de Paris : au cœur du chantier - A7C4600

"The Maison du chantier et des métiers presents all the techniques, skills and trades involved in restoring the cathedral. I'm delighted to be able to offer the public this free exhibition, right next to the cathedral, so that everyone can discover the major work we've been carrying out since April 15, 2019, as well as the generous involvement of the men and women who work there every day, with passion, with a view to its reopening in December 2024. This exhibition is at the very heart of our mission to promote the building site and the trades we have been entrusted with, and I have no doubt that it will spark vocations" says General Jean-Louis Georgelin, special representative of the President of the French Republic, President of the public establishment in charge of the conservation and restoration of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.

Find out more about the extraordinary and historic Notre-Dame de Paris construction site .