Victor Hugo's Novel Saved Notre-Dame From Demolition

(MENAFN- USA Art News) Victor Hugo's 1831 novel Notre-Dame de Paris played a crucial role in preventing the demolition of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in the 19th century, according to a recent report. While the book is celebrated as a landmark of Gothic literature and has inspired numerous adaptations, its primary purpose for Hugo was to advocate for the preservation of the cathedral.

By the 19th century, the Notre-Dame, originally constructed in 1345, was in a severe state of disrepair due to decades of neglect. Following the French Revolution, it had been closed to worshippers and briefly functioned as a warehouse. Its spire was removed because of wind damage, nine of its ten main bells were melted down for the revolutionary cause, and its statues were damaged and decapitated. Although it reopened in 1802 and hosted Napoleon Bonaparte's coronation in 1804, demolition appeared to be the most viable option for the dilapidated structure.

Hugo's novel, set in 1482 during the church's Renaissance prime, was intentionally written to champion the cathedral's preservation. The author viewed it as the quintessential example of French Gothic architecture. Several chapters are devoted to describing the structure and denouncing the“numberless injuries and mutilations which time and man have inflicted on the venerable structure.” The protagonist, Quasimodo, the hunchback, is presented as the embodiment of the cathedral's soul, who, in ancient Egypt, would have been considered“for the god of the temple.”

Eight years prior to the novel, a 21-year-old Hugo had penned an article for the Parisian Revue des deux Mondes titled“War to the Demolishers.” In it, he declared,“a universal cry must finally go up to call the new France to the aid of the old.”

Hugo's efforts ultimately succeeded. After Notre-Dame de Paris was published, public interest in the building was reignited. King Louis Philippe then announced that the restoration of Gothic monuments across the country would become a governmental priority, overseen by a newly established Commission on Historical Monuments.

Over a period of 25 years, the cathedral was restored to its original Gothic aesthetic. Stained-glass windows replaced the clear windows installed during the reign of Louis XIV, a new organ was fitted, and a taller, more decorative spire was added. The reintroduction of the cathedral's gargoyles, replacing medieval versions that had decayed or fallen off, is also largely attributed to Hugo's vivid descriptions of the chimeras and statues adorning the exterior.

Today, Notre-Dame is recognized globally, attracting millions of visitors annually. Its profound significance was underscored by the almost $1 billion raised for its preservation after the devastating fire in 2019, nearly two centuries after Hugo's campaign to rally France in its defense.

Source: Artnet News

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