A French organisation dedicated to the conservation of the country's heritage has launched a fundraising drive offering participants the chance to win a fragment of Paris's Notre-Dame cathedral.
Fifty limestone cubes – each measuring 7 centimetres by 7 centimetres and weighing nearly 800 grams – will be awarded to winners drawn at random between 7 and 11 April.
The stones come from the rubble of the cathedral, which almost burned down in 2019 but was fully renovated and re-opened last December, and each will carry a brass plaque authenticating its provenance.
La Fondation du Patrimoine (the Heritage Foundation) said the stones were too badly damaged to be used in the renovation.
Those hoping to own one of the cubes have until 4 April to make a donation of at least €40 through the organisation's website, to help preserve France's religious heritage.
"Beyond this emblematic monument, thousands of small Notre Dames throughout France are in danger and deserve our attention," the organisation said in a statement. "With this competition, we want to remind people that every donation counts in preserving these treasures of religious heritage."
Scientists build a virtual twin of Notre-Dame to help restore its glory
Saving national treasures
Around 5,000 religious buildings in France are in poor condition and require immediate intervention.
France's culture minister Rachida Dati suggested in October last year establishing a €5 entrance fee to be paid by tourists, which would go towards the upkeep of these buildings.
The idea was met with mixed reactions from the public and politicians and is yet to be introduced.
Notre-Dame revival drives return to ancient French craftsmanship
La Fondation du Patrimoine was one of four organisations tasked with collecting money to restore Notre-Dame de Paris.
It collected donations from 236,000 donors worldwide, raising €225 million out of a total of €850 million needed for the restoration.
After the French, Americans have been the biggest donors by far, raising some €58 million since 2019.
(with AFP)
