Vincent Noce

Heads of state and howling winds welcome Notre-Dame cathedral back to life

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and President-Elect Donald Trump were in attendance as President Macron presided over the reopening of the famed Parisian monument

Restored Notre-Dame to have its own museum in Paris's Hôtel-Dieu

Institution in historic hospital development could exhibit the heads of the kings of Judea from the cathedral's medieval statues

Through the Notre-Dame restoration, Eugène Viollet-le-Duc has now become ‘untouchable’. But at what price?

The five-year restoration of the cathedral has cemented the reign of the 19th-century architect, but his methods may not meet modern standards

Legalnews

'It could have been more serious, even fatal': lead poisoning claim by Versailles restoration workers reaches court

Six stand accused of negligence causing involuntary harm, including the culture ministry’s heritage operator, for its role in overseeing the restoration of the Château de Versailles

Yves Bouvier should stand trial over stolen Picassos, court says

Paris prosecutor has requested that the Swiss art dealer and his business partner Olivier Thomas should face charges relating to the disappearance of dozens of works more than a decade ago

Charging €5 to enter Notre-Dame could ‘save all the churches in France’, says culture minister

Rachida Dati has framed the potential move as a means of protecting French heritage sites, yet it has been met with opposition from the Catholic church

Dealer Yves Bouvier owes more than $800m in back taxes, Swiss court rules

Meanwhile Dmitry Rybolovlev, with whom Bouvier settled a high-profile legal saga last year, has had charges against him dismissed

Kabir Jhala. With additional reporting by Vincent Noce

Art Basel Paris's new incarnation at the Grand Palais is lifting spirits high

The Paris fair's third edition will welcome 195 galleries—41 more than last year—from 42 countries

Musée des Arts Décoratifs director Christine Macel leaves for advisory role amid allegations of dysfunction at the museum

Two years after her appointment, the star curator described her early exit from the Paris museum as “a relief”

France's cultural pass at risk as calls to scrap it grow

President Macron’s flagship youth scheme receives twice as much public funding as the Louvre

Nazi-loot restitutions in France face 'disproportionate delays' due to lack of funds, auditor report says

Despite legislative relaxation, little progress has been made in returning art stolen during the Second World War since the 1950s

French heritage sites saw record number of visitors in 2023

More than 46 million people flocked to French museums, monuments and stately homes last year—but social disparities are on the rise, new report says

Row over Notre-Dame’s stained glass re-ignites

President Emmanuel Macron wants to replace the Paris cathedral’s 19th-century windows, even though they were not damaged in 2019 fire

The extravagant Olympics opening ceremony can’t hide the truth about a divided France

The kitsch, art-filled event and the reaction that followed highlighted the deep fractures within the country—where support for the far right has grown

French culture sector expresses relief after parliamentary elections—but what's next?

After a successful campaign to help block the far-right National Rally from winning a majority, arts bodies, much like the rest of the country, face an uncertain future

Mona Lisa move would not be funded by state, says source

Idea to place the painting in a separate space at the Louvre would reportedly cost around €500m

Géricault show in Paris sparks authentication controversy

Experts have criticised the exhibition at the Musée de La Vie Romantique for presenting works as autograph with little evidence

Centre Pompidou renovation project at ‘high risk of slippage’

Supreme auditing body Cour des comptes judges Paris museum's five-year renovation project as “underfunded and insufficiently piloted”

Sylvain Amic is appointed chairman of the Musée d'Orsay in Paris

Former head of Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen takes over at a time of central government cuts to cultural institutions in Paris

Monumental disaster: officials bicker as Eiffel Tower falls into disrepair

The landmark in Paris is struggling, as costs for repairing and repainting the massive 135-year-old structure threaten to spiral out of control, prompting workers on the site to strike—just as the Olympic Games are about to kick off.

Judith Butler pulls out of Pompidou lectures after Israel-Hamas comments

The Berkeley professor did not want to be a "distraction" to the event in Paris after she was criticised for describing the 7 October attacks as an “act of armed resistance”

After two years of tremendous growth, France's art auction market is in decline

Overall auction results are strong—largely thanks to rise of second hand car purchases—but sales of fine art and antiques have fallen significantly from last year

Former Musée D’Orsay director announced as new chair of Versailles

Christophe Leribault’s move ends a controversy around the extended tenure of his predecessor

Masterpieces from the Barbier-Mueller African and Oceanic Art collection to be sold at Christie's in Paris

The auction next month will include 100 pieces acquired by Josef Müller and his family

AlUlanews

Head of Saudi Arabia's AlUla cultural development arrested over corruption claims

Amr al-Madani is accused of “abuse of authority and money laundering“, according to local media

Friends of the Louvre chair forced to step down

Louis-Antoine Prat, a French art historian and Old Master drawings collector, has been accused of slandering a respected art dealer with antisemitic stereotypes in his new book

Right-wing veteran Rachida Dati appointed as France's new culture minister

Macron's appointment has taken the culture sector by surprise

Demolition of Marie Curie's Paris laboratory suspended at 11th hour

The move has been welcomed by heritage bodies, but scientists—including Curie's great-grandson—support the construction of a new research centre on the site

Jack Lang is re-elected chair of the Institut du Monde Arabe, securing his fourth term

The 84-year-old—the only candidate in the running— has extended a Palestinian culture season

France simplifies law on restitution of human remains

The prime minister can now approve the return of remains of up to 500 years old, without having to pass a special law