Paris. “The promises only engage those who believe in it”: This is the reaction of Jean-Michel Leniaud when it reminded him of the announcement, on December 8, 2023 on the occasion of a visit to the cathedral site, by Emmanuel Macron, of the creation of a museum dedicated to Notre-Dame de Paris. Would the president of the Société des Amis de Notre-Dame be defeatist? It is, in any case, cooled by the non-publication of the prefiguration report of the museum, which was given to the Ministry of Culture by its two authors in … June 2024. “So we are talking about making the cathedral entry, it avoids talking about the creation of the museum …”, he scream.
A “modern museum”
The idea of the creation of this museum has been supported since 1939 by the Société des Amis, who believed to see his dream come true with the announcement of the President of the Republic, a year before the reopening of the cathedral. Several elements campaign in its favor: the existence of collections (that of the Société des Amis, the archaeological vestiges/Actualities/Des-Fouilles-au-Gout-Dinacheve-75695 Discovered during the site); The public success won by major exhibitions on the cathedral (national furniture, the Musée de Cluny and the Louvre); And the massive data operated by the scientific site of Notre-Dame, controlled by the conservative Pascal Liévaud, who expect only one setting to be made available to the public.
“This should not be an exhibition of masterpieces, Then defends Jean-Michel Leniaud. You have to create a modern museum, in Scandinavian. »» This would be the orientation chosen by the two rapporteurs of the prefiguration mission, Charles Personnaz (director of the National Heritage Institute) and Jonathan Truillet (curator of heritage detached within the public establishment rebuild Notre-Dame). In their report, still struck by the seal of confidentiality, the rapporteurs would consider an artistic and historical journey, valuing the heritage professions.
Despite this mature project, the “Notre-Dame Museum” must take its ticket in the long line of the museum promises of the President of the Republic: Museum-Mémorial du Terrorism, Maison du Press, Maison des Mondes African (Mansa), not to mention the “new renaissance” of the Louvre museum. At the Ministry of Culture, the Cathedral Museum would now be at the bottom of this pile of projects, the non-publication of the report attesting to a relegation sine die. “This is a mistake, because it is one of the few projects capable of arouse fundraising”estimates an actor in the file wishing to keep anonymity.
An area of 5,000 m2
The interest of the great patrons of Notre-Dame in the creation of a museum has indeed manifested itself during the reopening of the cathedral and before that during the prefiguration mission. American donors are particularly open, even proactive, at the idea of funding such equipment. In addition, according to an economic projection in the report, such an establishment would be likely to reach financial balance, taking advantage of the significant flow of visitors in the cathedral.
However, two difficulties block the progress of this project, the first of which is the recruitment of a prefiguration team, in a budgetary context where each ministry reduces its workforce.
The other problem, of a land, could resolve. The museum’s natural establishment is envisaged within the Hôtel-Dieu, overlooking the forecourt of the cathedral. Winner of a call for projects launched in 2019 by the AP-HP (Public Assistance-Hôpitaux de Paris), owner of the site and which intends to keep hospital activities on a game, the real estate promoter Novaxia is the occupant of the premises for a lease of eighty years, with a mixed program mixing shops, business incubator and housing. As part of their mission, the rapporteurs began a dialogue with the property developer in order to negotiate a location for the museum within this vast real estate grip. Anxious to work on the cultural dimension of its program, Novaxia is receptive, but not on the initial conditions. Thus, if the first programming studies indicate equipment offering an area of 7,000 to 8,000 m2, today is rather 5,000 square meters that are mentioned in the discussions started with the promoter.
The location within the Hôtel-Dieu also requires some concessions, because Novaxia does not seem willing to give up square meters overlooking the forecourt, and on the cathedral, the very ones that coven the architects of the museum project. One solution would sketch, however, with access by the forecourt leading to buildings located at the bottom of the courtyard.
If this compromise gives hope to some, it is rejected by other defenders of the museum. Like Jean-Michel Leniaud, whose museum project for almost a century by his association was quite different. “It is an unlimited solution, we do not enter a museum by a rat hole”, he judges this project. But even if this arrangement managed to make everyone agree, would remain the question of financial compensation intended for the promoter Novaxia. The rue de Valois will not be able to dispense with putting its hand in the pocket so that the Notre-Dame Museum materializes.
