- Home
- Saint Peter's Cathedral
- Emblematic restoration projects
Emblematic restoration projects
Restoration of Beauvais's Saint-Pierre cathedral: a renewed commitment to the future
Described as the "Parthenon of French architecture" by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, Beauvais's Cathedral Saint-Pierre, which stands in the heart of the city, is a Gothic masterpiece that has been listed as a historic monument since 1840. The State, which has owned Beauvais Cathedral since the French Revolution, is currently carrying out a number of initiatives to ensure the conservation, safety and security of the building and its furnishings.
Since 2022, the Direction régionale des affaires culturelles (DRAC) des Hauts-de-France (Hauts-de-France regional cultural affairs authority) has been carrying out a large-scale restoration project on this exceptional heritage site, costing over 17 million euros.
Since 2022, DRAC Hauts-de-France has been overseeing a vast project to restore and preserve this exceptional building. The main interventions include
- Restoring high roofs and vaultsRestoration: essential to ensure watertightness and protect interior architectural elements.
- Removal of shoringThese temporary structures, in place since 1994, will be replaced by permanent reinforcements to stabilize the building once and for all.
- Fire protectionFire safety: deployment of a water mist system, designed in partnership with the SDIS de l'Oise, to protect historic structures against the risk of fire.
"Carrying out a project of this scale, on a building as exceptional and breathtaking as Beauvais Cathedral, is a responsibility and a source of pride for the French State. Through this intervention, we are affirming our commitment to the conservation and enhancement of a Gothic heritage that is a benchmark in Europe."
Hilaire Multon, Regional Director of Cultural Affairs, Hauts-de-France.
Safety is a top priority
A plan to safeguard cultural property (PSBC) has been drawn up by the DRAC Hauts-de-France, with the SDIS de l'Oise and the Préfecture de l'Oise. It includes :
- A comprehensive risk reassessment;
- A water-mist system that protects roof structures without altering the architecture;
- Regular fire drills.
The Cultural Assets Safeguarding Plan (CADP) is an operational operational documentavailable to the staff of heritage establishments and to the emergency services, to enable them to deal diligently and effectively with situations that threaten heritage assets. It meets the objective of protection of cultural heritage recalled in the departmental ORSEC plan (article R 741-8 of the French Code de la sécurité intérieure) and enables a collective response to a crisis situation.
They are at the bedside of Saint-Pierre Cathedral
The work is being carried out under the supervision of the DRAC Hauts-de-Franceand under the supervision of Régis Martinchief architect of historic monuments. This project mobilizes a network of exceptional players.
The department of Conservation des Monuments Historiques (CRMH) department of the DRAC, in conjunction with the town of Beauvais city of Beauvais and the diocese of Oisethe site's benefactor.
January 11, 2025, Rachida DatiMinister of Culture, announced in Beauvais an additional budget of 3.2 million eurosin Beauvais, underlining the priority given to the preservation of Saint-Pierre Cathedral. This support will make it possible to :
- cover additional costs related to unforeseen events, such as lead pollution detected in 2023;
- guarantee the safety of interventions, while complying with demanding heritage standards;
- ensure continuity of work until completion, scheduled for 2028.
Discover a collection of new videos proposed by the DRAC :
Masterpieces unveiled: the objets d'art worksite at Saint-Pierre Cathedral
In addition to the spectacular work being carried out on the roofs and upper parts of Beauvais's Saint-Pierre cathedral, an equally essential project is being carried out discreetly inside the building. The DRAC Hauts-de-France is making a point of preserving and restoring the objets d'art that inhabit this emblematic Gothic cathedral, preparing for its 800th anniversary with renewed lustre.
Forgotten frames and paintings from the 18th century
In the Cathedral Treasury, two ornate oak oval frames, marked by the refined motifs of the XVIIIᵉ century, will benefit from a complete renovation. Their restoration will include cleaning, consolidation and new leaf gilding.
The two paintings they frame, a Virgin and Child and an Adoration of the Angelswill undergo a similarly meticulous process: stripping away the pictorial layers, stretching the canvases and applying a protective varnish will breathe life and light back into these anonymous masterpieces.
Altars and paintings
In the Saint-Denis chapel, the carved, painted and gilded secondary altar will undergo complete renovation. Over time, the shine of its imitation marble and gilded leaves has faded. The work will include meticulous dust removalconsolidation of the painted surfaces and restoration of the missing sculpted parts. A final 24-carat gold leaf treatment will crown this artistic renaissance.
In the chapel of Sainte-Jeanne d'Arc, a moment that has been awaited for almost three decades is about to arrive: the painting of the Crucifixion (XVIIIᵉ century) will leave its temporary location and return to its original place: above the altar. The work will be cleaned and restored to reveal the full richness of its original palette.
Grille of the Chapelle Saint-Vincent
After the gates of the Saint-Denis, Sainte-Jeanne d'Arc and Sacré-Coeur chapels, it's now the turn of the gates of the Saint-Vincent chapeldating from the XVIIIᵉ century, to benefit from a thorough restoration. These wrought-iron structures, witnesses to the decorative renewal sought by the canons of the period, now show signs of oxidation and loss of ornamental elements.
Restoration will include treatment of corroded parts, meticulous restitution of lost decorations, and painting and gilding to restore the majestic grilles to their former glory. Once reinstalled, they will contribute to the visual harmony of the sacred space.
