The archaeological crypt at Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris has reopened with a new exhibition, 17 months after the famous French cathedral was devastated by fire. The crypt itself wasn't affected by the blaze, but remained closed as it had to undergo toxic lead-dust decontamination.

The exhibition is called Notre-Dame de Paris from Victor Hugo to Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, and it takes place at the Crypte Archéologique de l'île de la Cité, just below the cathedral’s parvis. It centers on the roles played by both men in transforming the cathedral into the beloved landmark it is today. 

 

Visitors to the exhibition will get to see old and fragile photos, drawings, paintings and extracts of films. The movie Notre Dame Eternelle will be presented, and visitors can discover the remains of Gallo-Roman fortifications and thermal baths at the crypt. It is the first part of the wider cathedral complex to reopen since the devastating fire in April 2019.