Culture & Civic Life
French Heritage Society
The American nonprofit organization is committed to restoring, preserving, and promoting France's architectural and cultural heritage.
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Located on the small island of Île de la Cité in the middle of the Seine River in Paris, Notre-Dame de Paris — referred to as Notre-Dame — holds countless displays of artwork, furniture, and treasured items. It is one of the most widely recognized symbols of France.
In 2019, a fire broke out under the eaves of Notre-Dame's roof. Firefighters ultimately extinguished the flames and saved the main structure, including the bell towers and rose window, and they salvaged countless Catholic relics and priceless works of art. However, the blaze engulfed the spire and most of the roof, significantly damaging the cathedral. After the fire, Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris — founded two years earlier to support the restoration and preservation of Notre-Dame — escalated its mission and priorities to rebuild this jewel of French Gothic architecture and to restore the treasured artifacts and cathedral to its original splendor. Thanks in part to this critical support, Notre-Dame will reopen in late 2024, allowing visitors once again to marvel at its Gothic beauty and rich history.
General Operating Support, Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris