A popular European destination is planning to charge an entrance fee to the tourists desperate to have a look around inside.
The French government may soon levy an entrance fee for Notre Dame Cathedral when it reopens, five years after being ravaged by a fire.
Notre Dame Cathedral is one of the most famous buildings in France. However, on April 15, 2019, a devastating fire severely damaged Notre-Dame.
The roof and the iconic spire collapsed, but many of its important features, such as the two front towers and much of the interior, were saved. Since then, a massive restoration project has been underway to repair and restore the cathedral to its former glory.
Now, the French Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati has proposed an entrance fee in order to fund maintenance costs for other religious buildings, reports Euro News.
In an interview with Le Figaro, published online on Wednesday, Rachida Dati claims that “charging admission to Notre-Dame would save all the churches in France”.
Mr Dati has reportedly suggested to the Archbishop of Paris that tourists should be charged five euros to enter the cathedral.
All of the money would be devoted to “a major plan to safeguard France’s religious heritage”, according to Dati. The minister hopes to raise €75 million a year.
The proposal has also been backed by the French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau.
Rachida Dati also wants to modulate the pricing of national monuments and museums from 2026, saying that “visitors from outside the EU” could pay “more” than French visitors to “finance the renovation of our national heritage”.
Notre-Dame de Paris is due to reopen on December 7, after nearly five years of reconstruction following the fire that ravaged it in 2019.
France is confronting an escalating crisis with its aging religious buildings, many of which have been neglected due to inadequate funding.
Hundreds of churches across the country are in urgent need of restoration and face the risk of partial collapse or demolition.
Notable examples include Saint-Sulpice in Paris, Notre-Dame de l’Épine in Marne, and the Saint-Denis Basilica in Saint-Denis.