Notre-Dame's Important Decorations Restored

Laurent de La Hyre, The Conversion of Saint Paul, 1637, Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris.

In the run-up to the reopening this December of the cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris 8, the Mobilier national and the regional directorate of Cultural Affairs of Île-de-France (Ministry of Culture) have joined forces to present to the public an exhibition featuring the masterpieces of the interior decoration of the building, twenty-one large-format paintings, including thirteen large “Mays”, restored as part of a project carried out with the support of the Center for Research and restoration of French museums (C2RMF).

Other remarkable objects include the hanging of the Life of the Virgin woven to adorn the choir in the 17th century , in fourteen pieces, today preserved at Strasbourg Cathedral; and the immense Savonnerie carpet donated to the cathedral by King Charles X. Models of liturgical furniture currently under construction are also presented, showing how the project has combined restoration of historic objects and 21st century creation.