'December Reopening' Notre-Dame Cathedral Admission Fee Sparks Divided Opinions

Minister of Buddhist Culture: "If 5 Euros are charged, annual revenue would be 110 billion KRW"
Diocese maintains principle of 'free cathedral admission'

The French Minister of Culture proposed charging an admission fee for the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, which will reopen this December, but the diocese expressed opposition.

On the 24th (local time), the French daily Le Figaro reported that Minister of Culture Rachida Dati "proposed to the Archbishop of Paris to charge all tourists visiting Notre-Dame an admission fee and use the money for the preservation of religious heritage." Minister Dati explained, "Charging 5 euros (about 7,500 won) per visitor would generate approximately 75 million euros (about 111.6 billion won) annually." She added, "Notre-Dame Cathedral has awakened the French people's interest in religious heritage. Many are concerned about churches disappearing due to fires or aging," emphasizing, "Notre-Dame Cathedral could save all churches in Paris and France."

On April 15, 2019 (local time), a large fire broke out at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, France, causing the spire to collapse.
[Photo by AFP Yonhap News]

However, the church did not welcome Minister Dati's proposal. The Paris Diocese stated in a press release that day, "The mission of the cathedral and churches is to welcome all men and women unconditionally and, of course, free of charge." The diocese also pointed out, "At Notre-Dame, there is no distinction between worshippers and visitors, and visits continue even during services," adding, "Setting different access conditions for worshippers and visitors could result in giving up the open access to the cathedral for everyone."

Alexandre Gady, a member of the Architectural Heritage Committee and a cultural heritage historian, also expressed opposition. On the same day, he said on Radio France Info, "Charging an admission fee for Notre-Dame Cathedral is absurd," raising his voice, "This is a philosophical break far from heritage." He further argued, "It is an accounting mindset that devastates our country," and claimed, "To protect cultural heritage, it is better to raise the accommodation tax by a few tens of cents than to impose an admission fee."

The appearance of Notre-Dame Cathedral before the fire [Image source=Pixabay]

Construction of Notre-Dame Cathedral began 861 years ago in 1163. After nearly 200 years of construction until 1345, the cathedral took its current form. However, on April 15, 2019, during renovation work, a fire of unknown cause caused the 96-meter-high spire to collapse and most of the wooden roof to be destroyed. Since then, French authorities have started restoration work, but concerns about lead contamination and the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the project, and the interior of the cathedral will only be reopened to the public on December 8, more than five years later. Before the fire, admission to Notre-Dame Cathedral was free inside, with a 10-euro (about 15,000 won) fee for tower visits. The Paris Tourism Office expects 12 to 15 million tourists to visit Notre-Dame Cathedral annually in the future.