The Treasury of Notre-Dame Cathedral

Event Description

As restoration work on the cathedral enters its final phase, the Musée du Louvre is devoting an exhibition to the treasures of Notre-Dame de Paris. The collection of priceless artefacts brings together the objects and vestments used for the liturgy, as well as relics and reliquaries, manuscripts and other items. From the Crown of Thorns and the Wood of the Cross, which came from the former Sainte-Chapelle under the reign of Napoleon I, to the splendour of the gold masterpieces from the 19th century, in particular those designed by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, the collection holds incalculable historical, artistic and religious value. These objects were donated by the faithful and eventually moved to their dedicated home in the cathedral’s neo-Gothic sacristy, built by Jean-Baptiste Lassus and Viollet-Le-Duc between 1845 and 1850. Featuring more than 120 works, this exhibition offers a condensed account of the 1,000- year history of the Trésor, from its origins in the Middle Ages to its resurrection in the 19th century stewarded by Viollet-le-Duc during the Second Empire. Unmissable.