est window, on the western façade, was completed in around 1225 and is praised for the way the glass seems to support the stone relief around it. The southern rosette has a diameter of nearly 13 metres and is made up of 84 panels. However, it no longer re- tains its original stained glass, which was damaged in previous fires. The majority of visitors to No- tre-Dame spend time admiring the two Gothic towers that adorn the cathedral’s western façade. Work on the western façade began in the year 1200, but the first tower - the northern one - was only completed four decades later. Both towers reach a height of 68 metres, and climbing the 387 steps reveals a panoramic view of Paris. Anyone climbing the stairs to take in the view must pass by another famous feature of the cathe- dral: gargoyles. The cathedral’s most famous gargoyle – known as Le Stry- ge - is perched on top of the build- ing, gazing over the city with its head resting on its hands. An ancient relic believed to have been placed on the head of Jesus Christ at his crucifixion has been re- turned to Notre-Dame. The Crown of Thorns - consisting of a wreath of rushes encased in a crystal and gold tube – was first acquired by King Louis IX in Constantinople in 1239 and was initially kept at Sainte-Chapelle, only to be moved to the treasury of Notre-Dame in 1806, where it remained until the fire. Firefighters and police formed a human chain to rescue the relic and other historic artefacts in the cathedral. Despite the adversity it has faced, Notre-Dame continues to symbolise the enduring spirit of Paris. CELEBRATIONS ALSO HELD IN SERBIA The reopening of the renovated Cathedral of Notre-Dame has pro- vided an occasion for the French In- stitute in Serbia and the Embassy of the Republic of France to organise a series of events that will unfold until February 2025 and will high- light the importance of this mas- terpiece of European cultural her-
itage. The programme encompasses exhibitions, virtual tours, lectures and multimedia content dedicated to this architectural jewel of Europe and its reconstruction. This 27 th January, Belgrade’s European House will host a lec- ture entitled “The Architecture of National Cathedrals – A Compar- ative Analysis” to be delivered by Mathieu Lours, a French architec- tural historian, organist, expert in sacral and French modern architec- ture. A day before, on 26 th January, an organ concert will be held at the Catholic Church in the Vračar neigh- bourhood. French Orthodox theo- logian and essayist Jean-François Colosimo will hold a lecture entitled “Paris, Theological Centre of the 20 th century: Multi-religiosity” on Thurs- day, 13 th February. At the beginning of February, the programme “No- tre-Dame in Film” will take place at the Yugoslav Cinematheque Film Archives (Uzun Mirkova 1) and will include a special screening of films and reports on Notre-Dame from the archives of the Yugoslav Cine- matheque, followed by a screening of the film “Notre-Dame in Flames” by French director Jean-Jacques An- naud. The Gallery of the French In- stitute will also host the exhibition “Notre-Dame in Comics” from 3 rd to 28 th February. MUSICAL IN BELGRADE From 14 th to 17 th February, the stage of the Sava Centre will provide the Serbian audience with an op- portunity to hear the famous songs Belle, Danse mon Esmeralda and Le temps des cathédrales within the scope of the French-language mu- sical “Notre Dame de Paris”. Based on the number of tickets sold in its first year, the French version of this musical entered the Guinness Book of Records, while the legend- ary Belle was recognised as the best song of the 20 th century in France. This musical based on Victor Hu- go’s famous novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame includes 200 tons of set design elements, so the Bel- grade performances are expected to be spectacular.
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