Historic French basilica seeks help to pay for new 90 metre spire
Nearly 180 years after one of Saint-Denis basilica’s twin spires was demolished for safety reasons, work will begin on its restoration, and officials are calling on members of the public to help raise the millions of euros needed.
Fancy a mediaeval stone?
You might be able to help pay for one if you choose to support the restoration works taking place at the historic Basilica of Saint-Denis, one of the highlights of a trip to the suburb north of Paris.
In order to finance the project, people are being asked to donate to help pay for each individual stone that will help rebuild one of the cathedral’s twin spires that was permanently dismantled in 1847, after the "Tornade de Montville" left it badly damaged.
READ MORE: What you should know about the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis
The devastating tornado destroyed homes, uprooted hundreds of trees and razed three textile mills, killing a reported 70 factory workers, and injuring another 130.
Some 177 years later, long-delayed work to rebuild the 90m spire “stone by stone” is set to begin in the autumn. The rebuild is set to be completed in 2029.
The €37 million renovation will be financed in part by the Interdepartmental Solidarity Fund for Investment (€22 million), the Île-de-France region (€5 million) and the Metropole du Grand Paris (€4 million).
Public sponsorship is also being sought via the Suivez la Flèche association, which is offering to sponsor the 15,000 “new stones, conforming to the dimensions, shapes and materials of mediaeval stones”.
Officials hope to raise between €3.5 million and €5 million.
Donors will be asked to pay between €15 and €3,000 towards each stone – the price set by each block’s location on the spire.
In return, they will receive a digital replica of the stone, along with a certifying non-fungible token (NFT).
Why visit the Basilica?
The area is often overlooked by people visiting France's capital, but the suburb will play an important role during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The Basilica is one of its key cultural attractions.
The Basilica's website says it is the final resting place for "forty-two kings, thirty-two queens, sixty-three princes and princesses and ten men of the kingdom rest in peace there. With over seventy recumbent effigies and monumental tombs, the royal necropolis of the basilica is today the most significant group of funerary sculptures from the 12th to the 16th century in Europe."
And if you do visit then look out for the 12th and 19th-century stained glass windows.
The historically and architecturally important basilica was named after Saint Denis, the first bishop of Paris who is believed to have been buried near the site in 250 CE.
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Fancy a mediaeval stone?
You might be able to help pay for one if you choose to support the restoration works taking place at the historic Basilica of Saint-Denis, one of the highlights of a trip to the suburb north of Paris.
In order to finance the project, people are being asked to donate to help pay for each individual stone that will help rebuild one of the cathedral’s twin spires that was permanently dismantled in 1847, after the "Tornade de Montville" left it badly damaged.
READ MORE: What you should know about the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis
The devastating tornado destroyed homes, uprooted hundreds of trees and razed three textile mills, killing a reported 70 factory workers, and injuring another 130.
Some 177 years later, long-delayed work to rebuild the 90m spire “stone by stone” is set to begin in the autumn. The rebuild is set to be completed in 2029.
The €37 million renovation will be financed in part by the Interdepartmental Solidarity Fund for Investment (€22 million), the Île-de-France region (€5 million) and the Metropole du Grand Paris (€4 million).
Public sponsorship is also being sought via the Suivez la Flèche association, which is offering to sponsor the 15,000 “new stones, conforming to the dimensions, shapes and materials of mediaeval stones”.
Officials hope to raise between €3.5 million and €5 million.
Donors will be asked to pay between €15 and €3,000 towards each stone – the price set by each block’s location on the spire.
In return, they will receive a digital replica of the stone, along with a certifying non-fungible token (NFT).
Why visit the Basilica?
The area is often overlooked by people visiting France's capital, but the suburb will play an important role during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The Basilica is one of its key cultural attractions.
The Basilica's website says it is the final resting place for "forty-two kings, thirty-two queens, sixty-three princes and princesses and ten men of the kingdom rest in peace there. With over seventy recumbent effigies and monumental tombs, the royal necropolis of the basilica is today the most significant group of funerary sculptures from the 12th to the 16th century in Europe."
And if you do visit then look out for the 12th and 19th-century stained glass windows.
The historically and architecturally important basilica was named after Saint Denis, the first bishop of Paris who is believed to have been buried near the site in 250 CE.
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