The new Notre-Dame Towers circuit

Paris. You have to climb a little over four hundred and twenty steps to reach the top of the south tower in order to be able to contemplate Paris from 69 meters high. Which therefore requires good physical fitness, as recalled by the Center des monuments nationaux (CMN) which manages the cathedral towers. The ascent takes place in several stages, with a view to comfort for visitors. A first step leads to the lower room via a stone staircase attached to the south tower, where the number of steps to climb is indicated at regular intervals by mahogany-colored panels (emergency call terminals for visitors in distress also punctuate the ascent). The room succinctly presents the structure of the cathedral with two models, including “ a skinned person from the monument »specifies Julie Schafir (mediation and scenography project manager at CMN). This sketch shows the visitors’ journey in vertical section, while an architect’s model surrounded by screens summarizes the stages of construction of the cathedral. A quote from Victor Hugo and two sculptures of chimeras damaged by the fire help to create an atmosphere tinged with poetry, which the rest of the route accentuates.

A sound tour

One hundred and fifty steps higher, the route ends at the base of the belfry in the quatrefoil room, where the white stone gives way to wood: the indirect lighting here highlights the immense oak beams which support it. “This new course allows an immersion in architecture”, explains Hélène Amblès, director of cultural and public development at the CMN and indeed visitors then brush against the thousand-year-old beams while climbing a contemporary oak staircase made especially for the new route. Throughout this section, almost invisible speakers broadcast organ and bell music from different eras: the work on the sound is very careful, despite the constraints (drafts, pigeon noises).

An oak staircase leads to the Chimera terrace, from where visitors have a view overlooking the Seine. Fifty-four chimeras, to be distinguished from gargoyles, adorn the facades of the cathedral. “Most date from the 19th century when Viollet-le-Duc restored Notre-Dame, drawing inspiration from the medieval imagination”specifies Nina Derain, responsible for scientific studies and management at the CMN. Access to the roof of the south tower is via a small, very narrow stone staircase, and the panoramic view of Paris is here enhanced by discreet orientation tables. Between two gusts of wind, visitors enjoy an exceptional view of the north tower and the reconstructed spire with the statues of the apostles. You have to go down and then go up another wooden staircase to reach the top of the belfry where the two bronze drones (monumental bells with a deep sound) sit. The larger of the two, “Emmanuel”, has been classified as a Historic Monument since 1944 and is the only drone in France to have survived the destruction of 1792 according to Nina Derain. The journey continues under this drone which weighs 13.3 tonnes, not without a few thrills.

The passage to the north tower is via the courtyard of the cisterns, a terrace located above the pediment of the cathedral. Where the old route took visitors along a passageway a few meters higher, the new one shows the rich sculpted decorations of the two towers and offers a panorama of the “forest”, i.e. the wooden frame of the nave, visible through windows. The fairly limited mediation lets visitors soak up the architecture. In the north tower, a 19th century bell is displayed at eye level in a wood-paved room where music composed especially for the place by Valérie Vivancos resonates. This contemplative soundtrack accompanies the descent which is completed in one go down the stone staircase, at the risk of feeling dizzy. After this visit in the open air cut off from the Parisian environment, the return to the hustle and bustle of the square allows us to measure the sensory quality of the new tour route.