Universally recognized as a masterpiece of cultural heritage–inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1979–the Cathedral of Our Lady in Chartres is under attack by its would-be restorers. Now maybe you can help stop the dreadful makeover that has been underway for a while.
I wrote about this issue, which was ignited by Martin Filler, last December (see Restoration Scandal at Chartres Cathedral), and today I received an email from a self-described “Physics PhD student at the University of Arizona” named Stefan Evans. Evans, who is studying physics and art history, wrote:
When I saw a photo of Chartres Cathedral a few years ago, an interest in Gothic architecture sparked inside of me; it has since grown into a passion of mine. I read your article on the cathedral’s restoration and was heartbroken when I visited Chartres this summer. Since then I’ve been working on a petition to halt the irresponsible restoration.