What Will Happen to the Historic Stained Glass Windows of Notre Dame de Paris?

Declared a historical monument along with the rest of the Cathedral, the stained glass windows by Viollet-le-Duc were saved from the devastating fire of April 15, 2019.

Anne Van Merris

(ZENIT News / Paris, 05.12. 2026). – In the side chapels of Notre Dame de Paris, six new contemporary stained glass windows will replaced the existing ones in December 2026. The original windows had been created in the 19th century by the French architect and restorer Eugène Viollet-le-Duc.

Declared historical monuments along with the rest of the Cathedral, the stained-glass windows by Viollet-le-Duc were saved from the devastating fire of April 15, 2019. They were created after the damage suffered during the French Revolution, maintaining fidelity to the Cathedral’s Gothic style and depicting religious figures and biblical scenes.

Despite their recent restoration, they will be removed in a few months and will likely be displayed elsewhere for the public. Permission to install the new stained-glass windows was announced last April, reigniting a controversy that dates back to 2023.

This project had been promoted by the Archbishop of Paris, Monsignor Laurent Ulrich, and the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, so that the building could have «a 21st-century feel.» But in December 2023, a petition, signed by 335,000 people, was launched, arguing that the work of the architect Viollet-le-Duc was a protected building and an integral part of the chapels.

In fact, the National Commission for Heritage and Architecture had opposed the removal of the old stained-glass windows on two occasions. Created by the artist Claire Tabouret and the workshop of the master glassmaker Simon Marq, the modern stained-glass windows depict scenes related to Pentecost, in a figurative and contemporary style, using vibrant colors such as blue, red, yellow, and pink. Its commission involved an investment of 4 million euros, financed by the French Government.