In the heart of Paris, a storm is brewing around the beloved Notre Dame cathedral, just weeks before its grand reopening. The iconic 12th-century Gothic masterpiece, known as “the soul of France,” has become embroiled in a heated debate over a proposed €5 entrance fee for visitors once it welcomes the public again this December.
The cathedral has undergone an extensive five-year restoration after narrowly escaping total destruction in a devastating fire in April 2019. Flames had torn through its wooden rafters and lead roof, toppling the monumental spire and prompting a mammoth effort to save the cherished symbol of French history and culture.
Controversy Ignites Over Proposed Fee
France’s Culture Minister, Rachida Dati, sparked the controversy this week by suggesting that the 12-14 million annual visitors to Notre Dame should pay a modest €5 fee to help fund the preservation of the country’s crumbling religious heritage. She argued that across Europe, it is common for people to pay for access to remarkable religious edifices.
Notre Dame would save all the churches of France. It would be a magnificent symbol.
Rachida Dati, French Culture Minister
Dati estimated that the scheme could raise up to €75 million per year, which would be dedicated to a grand preservation plan for France’s religious heritage. The Interior Minister, Bruno Retailleau, welcomed the idea, noting that even non-believers should see the value in saving these treasured landmarks.
Church Opposes “Unconditional” Entry
However, the proposal quickly drew the ire of the French Catholic Church, which remains fiercely committed to the principle of free access for all visitors, whether worshippers or tourists. In a stern statement, the Diocese of Notre Dame insisted that churches and cathedrals must welcome everyone unconditionally, “thus necessarily free of charge.”
A universal €5 entrance fee would inevitably lead to people declining to visit a building that by its nature should be wide open to all.
Statement from the Diocese of Notre Dame
The diocese also pointed out the logistical challenges of distinguishing between tourists and individuals entering for private prayer, given the cathedral’s design. They expressed openness to alternative funding schemes that would not “tax” visitors.
Possible Legal Hurdles
Experts have warned that the government’s proposal could face legal obstacles under France’s 1905 secularism law, which governs the separation of church and state. The law transferred ownership of religious buildings to the government but stipulates that access “cannot be subject to any tax or duty.”
Churches may charge visitors to enter certain rooms, like the bell tower, but you cannot charge for access to the building itself.
Maëlle Comte, Public Law Lecturer
Some legal scholars suggest the government could rewrite the law if determined to implement the fee, but such a move would likely inflame tensions with the Catholic Church even further.
Compromise Solutions Floated
As the standoff continues, officials are exploring potential compromises to address the pressing need for preservation funds. The Mayor of Central Paris, Ariel Weil, proposed a voluntary contribution system with a suggested fee at the entrance.
There’s a price, but you don’t have to pay it.
Ariel Weil, Mayor of Central Paris
Meanwhile, the president’s heritage adviser, Stéphane Bern, drew a distinction between tourists and worshippers, suggesting that charging tourists “in shorts, with cameras round their necks” could be acceptable outside of service times.
Symbol of a Larger Crisis
The heated dispute over Notre Dame’s entrance fee is emblematic of a broader crisis facing France’s religious architectural heritage. The Fondation du Patrimoine, a national heritage charity, has described the state of many of the nation’s chapels, churches, abbeys, and cathedrals as “very worrying.”
- Approximately 5,000 religious buildings are considered at risk
- Nearly 500 are in such poor condition that they are closed to the public
As the December reopening of Notre Dame approaches, the urgency to find sustainable solutions for protecting these cherished sites will only intensify. For now, the battle lines are drawn, with both the government and the church unwilling to budge from their positions.
All eyes will be on Paris to see if a path forward can be forged, one that balances the practical needs of preservation with the principle of free and universal access to these soaring spaces that have shaped French culture, history, and the collective imagination for centuries.
As the first visitors set foot in a restored Notre Dame this winter, they may well do so amid the echoes of an unresolved debate that will reverberate far beyond the walls of the beloved cathedral on the banks of the Seine.
