On April 15, 2019, the world watched in grief as fire engulfed the Cathedral of Notre-Dame, a landmark in the center of Paris since construction began in 1163 on the site of a former Roman temple.
On December 7, 2024, Notre-Dame reopened to the world after an astonishing five-year restoration project. The dramatic Notre-Dame restoration story is a heroic tale.
Unusually, many interdisciplinary groups worked to bring it back to life and, along the way, new revelations were made about this famous Gothic building. Rarely does one see academics such as medievalists and research scientists, or artisans in glass or timber framing working alongside pipe fitters or electricians. Their partnership resulted in new insight about the rebuilding process with many major discoveries made thanks to respectful collective effort and collaborative research.
Dr. Jennifer Feltman, is one of only a few Americans tapped to work with Chantier scientifique, the scientific working group for Notre-Dame organized by the French government. She brings to Houston a fascinating story about the passionate people who helped bring Notre-Dame back to life. She was part of the PBS special airing on NOVA focused on the restoration story and is especially associated with research work on the pigments originally found on statuary that would have been painted in vibrant color.
In partnership with
