The world watched in horror as flames engulfed Paris’s Notre-Dame Cathedral in April 2019. The iconic church survived, but it suffered devastating, costly damage. While some uber-wealthy individuals were quick to publicly promise financial support to restore the building, it’s small donors who have mainly contributed to the cause. The work is far from over, though. And a global pandemic hasn’t made raising funds or completing the project any easier. So supporters have come up with a unique, fitting way to generate help for the gothic monument. You can now “adopt” Notre-Dame Cathedral’s gargoyles and grotesque statues.
Thanks to our generous #community, the #restoration of the #Stryge is fully funded! Perhaps the most famous #grotesque on #NotreDame , it is often called a “#vampire” by #Parisians. See what other pieces of our puzzle still need repair: https://t.co/dp3athUR9s pic.twitter.com/nFwV6k3akK
— Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris (@_NotreDameParis) April 21, 2021
The nonprofit organization Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris want to pair you with the building’s signature stone demons. (We first learned about the fundraiser at DesignTAXI.) You can contribute to a general fund or give money specifically to help restore a specific piece of art or building segment. While some might want to chip in to fix a painting or a bust of a saint, it will be hard to pass on the opportunity to “adopt” a gargoyle. How many times in life will you be able to point towards a winged demon and say, “That’s mine”?
While we always call them gargoyles, some statues are technically grotesques. Gargoyles serve a specific purpose: they drain rainwater. The grotesques are purely decorative. Those bizarre monsters were a way for the church to show its members the perils that awaited sinners in Hell. They probably didn’t expect future generations to find them so freaking cool. (Let alone for them to become a beloved animated show.)
If you want financially adopt a specific gargoyle or grotesque, you can chip in however much you like. Every dollar counts. And every dollar gets the church closer to a full reopening.
Which will also be when you can safely visit your new stone pet to make sure they’re holding up.