Upon the 800th anniversary of the cathedral's construction, its facade was cleaned. André Malraux, France's Minister of Culture, ordered a thorough restoration of the walls, which had turned black from dirt and soot over the past centuries.
Once the work was completed, the cathedral regained its white-red color. However, more restoration work was carried out between 1991 and 2000.
In the 1930s, they were painted black to hide the effects of air pollution. The original colors were restored during conservation works in 2017-2021. The Victorian glass was also removed and replaced with a faithful reproduction made in Germany by glassmakers Glasfabrik Lamberts.
In the 1930s, they were painted black to hide the effects of air pollution. The original colors were ...