Notre Dame de Paris: its iconic status in France’s history
Notre Dame de Paris: its iconic status in France’s history
Lecturer: Carole Petipher
In December 2024, Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris reopened after a devastating fire had threatened to destroy it five years earlier. A seemingly impossible target had been set by the French President to rebuild: huge sums of donated money and teams of expert restorers ensured the timescale was met. This lecture considers what makes Notre Dame so special and will look at its key location, its most precious artefacts and, through images, consider some of the most significant events to have been staged inside the iconic silhouette. Carole will also introduce the much-loved fictional character Quasimodo, Hunchback of Notre Dame, who was responsible for the cathedral’s salvation the first time it faced destruction.
Carole Petipher is an experienced guide and lecturer on combined history and art tours in France with 20 years experience. Having lived and worked on a number of bespoke river vessels and converted barges there she has used them as a platform from which to research her lectures. She uses art in all its guises to explore the characters who shaped France and likes to delve behind the scenes to discover hidden truths. She also acts as a guide for a privately owned ancestral home in her native Chilterns.
Image: Dietmar Rabich / Wikimedia Commons / /
