France. The fire at Notre-Dame de Paris, followed by that of Nantes Cathedral, acted as catalysts, prompting the State to redouble its efforts to secure and restore cathedrals throughout the country. This budgetary boost then takes the form of a cathedral plan integrated into the recovery plan initiated in 2020, and designed to benefit around fifty cathedrals (out of the 87 under state supervision). In addition to the 40 million euros that are usually allocated to them each year, 80 million euros are thus distributed over 2021-2022 to support ongoing restoration work. Over two years, more than 167 million euros would have been spent on cathedrals, according to the Ministry of Culture.
Bayeux Cathedral after restoration.
© Nicolas Barbanchon
Thanks to the plan, several cathedrals were able to complete their restoration. That of Bayeux Cathedral was completed in September, after six years of work at a cost of 6 million euros (the State had advanced 800,000 €). In Strasbourg, the restoration of the choir dome was completed last spring for a total cost of 2 million euros. The treasure rooms of Albi Cathedral reopened to the public at the beginning of 2023, after work costing one million euros. At the end of 2024, two other projects also ended: that relating to the framework, roofing and stained glass windows of Soissons Cathedral (around 12 million euros) and that carried out at the Saint-Denis cathedral basilica, which benefited from 2.7 million euros to restore its chapels, stained glass windows and masonry (before launching the costly reconstruction of its spire, which is not covered by the State).
Other cathedrals, some of which were able to undertake slightly heavier interventions than expected, are still being restored. They are now supported by a “cathedral plan” with a lower budget, which provides a little more than 50 million euros each year for their restoration and 12 million for their security (excluding credits allocated to Notre-Dame de Paris). Chartres Cathedral, which had received the largest allocation as part of the recovery plan (6.8 million euros), was thus able to complete the restoration of its north transept and is now working on the aisles of its nave, before renovation of its south portal from 2027. Also beneficiary of a significant recovery package (3.1 million euros), Beauvais Cathedral – under construction since 2022 – received an additional sum of 3.2 million euros in 2025 to continue its structural work, completion of which is planned for 2028. Same thing in Nevers, Toulouse, Marseille and Vannes, where the repair work is continuing.
Attention is also focused on the restoration of Nantes Cathedral, which recently reopened its doors to the public. In 2020, an arson fire seriously damaged the building, which has since undergone intensive work. To date, the State has mobilized 20.9 million of the 32 million euros needed to complete the project, which is not expected to be completed before 2030. And among the other major operations in progress, there are also restorations of arrows, particularly technical. In Rouen, the tedious construction site – delayed by a fire in the summer of 2024 – should come to an end in 2027, after a decade of work, costing 19 million euros. The consolidation of the spire of Dijon Cathedral, for its part, will be launched in the first half of 2026. A project spread over five years, for which the State has already paid 4.2 million euros (out of a total amount estimated at 22 million).
The restoration of the Clermont-Ferrand cathedral has also just begun, two years behind the initial schedule (3.8 million euros had already been granted as part of the recovery plan, the second largest allocation). The latest construction site in a long series of cathedrals under construction, never-ending given their permanent maintenance needs.
Restoration of the Clermont-Ferrand Cathedral
Clermont-Ferrand (Puy-de-Dôme). It will take at least six years to restore Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption Cathedral, which has dominated the city since the 13th century. The project, which has just begun, promises to be large-scale. As early as 2017, a diagnosis highlighted the urgency of restoring the roofs to ensure the watertightness of the building and preserve its interior decorations. Under the supervision of architect Rémi Fromont (Covalence agency) in charge of project management, a work program is then developed, spread over several phases and costed at more than 24 million euros. Priority to the western massif with the repair of its lead and stone roofs. The first interventions concern the installation of instrumentation inside the cathedral to monitor cracks, as well as the improvement of fire safety by installing thermal cameras in the attic and upper parts. A dry column will also be installed at the level of the two spiers, which rise to almost 100 meters high. These operations, entirely financed by the State (8.2 million euros), should be completed in 2026. Then, from 2027, the second phase will focus on the restoration of the roofs and high terraces on the side of the nave, the choir and the transepts. Work estimated at 16 million euros, which will last several years. Finally, a third phase, which has not yet been scheduled, should concern the intermediate stone coverings.
