By Francois Giudice, Senior Correspondent France

The Orange Group and Amaclio Productions  have announced the launch of “Eternal Notre-Dame”, a unique and immersive virtual reality tour of Notre-Dame cathedral, in partnership with the Diocèse de Paris, the public establishment dedicated to the conservation and restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral and the City of Paris.

In 2022, experience a unique and immersive expedition through time, space, and history

“Eternal Notre-Dame” is a technological challenge that invites the public to dive into the heart of the cathedral’s history, from its construction in the Middle Ages to the current restoration project.

Visitors are welcomed to a dedicated space and equipped with an immersive VR device to explore Notre-Dame de Paris, which has been completely recreated in virtual form. They are invited on a “real-life” emotional journey to discover the cathedral’s secrets, historical events and key protagonists that have marked its history.

‘The Eternal Notre-Dame” will open to the public in Paris on January 15, 2022 at the Espace Grande Arche in la Défense. From September 2022, it will move much closer to the site itself, to the Parvis de Notre-Dame – the main square in front of the cathedral. Following that, “The Eternal Notre-Dame” will tour France, Europe, and the rest of the world.

An unprecedented and innovative commitment to continue to bring Notre-Dame to life

Following a devastating fire on April 15, 2019, the Orange Group wanted to proactively contribute to the cathedral’s collective restoration project by offering resources and technological innovation to bring this emblematic heritage site back to life in virtual form.

Orange is demonstrating its commitment by providing this unique experience, and the public can contribute too, as a proportion of the proceeds from the tickets sold will help finance the restoration work: 30 per cent of the ticket price will be donated in full by Orange the public establishment dedicated to the conservation and restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral and to the Notre Dame Foundation to finance the Notre Dame interior design programme.  Each visitor will become a donor…

An original creation

Orange has collaborated with trusted and expert partners to achieve this unique experience:

Amaclio Productions, an acclaimed production company working on numerous other sites in France (Les Invalides, the Mont-St-Michel Abbey, the Palais des Papes and the medieval city of Carcassonne), will oversee the production and marketing of the immersive experience on site.

Leading VR studio Emissive, already hailed for the “Mona Lisa: Beyond the glass” exhibition at the Louvre Museum, is the company behind the pioneering “Immersive Expeditions” virtual reality tour format. “The Eternal Notre-Dame” will be its next landmark exhibition.

Finally, Bruno Seillier, artistic director behind the “Dame de Cœur” and “La Nuit aux Invalides” shows, will oversee the experience’s storyline and scenography.

A free access area dedicated to the history and construction of the Cathedral

At the Espace Grande Arche de la Défense, visitors will also have free access, as a preamble to their visit, to a 500 m2 space dedicated to the Cathedral, its history and its construction site:

A space designed by the public establishment offering visitors a dive into the construction site, the discovery of the main operations and the trades. In order to fulfil its mission of promoting the cathedral, the public institution will present :

– an exclusive 15-minute immersive film that gives a voice to the main players on the site, presents the main operations of the security phase and the main stages of the restoration;

– a selection of exceptional photographs of the main highlights of the work, accompanied by educational explanatory texts.

A space designed by the diocesan association of Paris, which will present:

– elements of the cathedral’s heritage: statues, paintings, silverware and liturgical ornaments, in parallel and in connection with the “Eternal Notre-Dame” experience

– a chronological presentation of the major stages in the construction of the cathedral.

In autumn 2022, this ensemble will be redeployed and extended under the cathedral square. The programme and content of these spaces will be presented at a later date.

“This project demonstrates the Orange Group’s desire and pride as part of the long-term collective effort to work in partnership to restore Notre-Dame de Paris, by relying on our innovation, virtual and augmented reality expertise as well as our very high-speed networks, while promoting the new immersive technologies offered by a French digital ecosystem.”

Delegate CEO of the Orange Group, Gervais Pellissier said:  “Notre Dame has always spoken to people in the language of their time to announce good news. As a masterpiece of art and heritage, this Parisian cathedral, which bears the name of Our Lady, is a symbol for all of humankind. I am delighted our partners’ skills and expertise will make its history accessible to everyone. This story continues today and for centuries to come.” 

Representative of the Diocese of Paris for the restoration of Notre Dame, Bishop Eric Aumonier commented: “Pending the reopening of Notre-Dame de Paris for worship and visits from April 2024, this immersive experience will allow visitors to rediscover the splendor and history of this Gothic masterpiece. I warmly thank the Orange Group for proposing that part of the ticket price be donated to the restoration. Finally, I am very pleased that the public institution will benefit from a free access area, which will enable us to offer visitors, prior to the experience, an insight into the building site and the trades involved, through audiovisual and digital content”.

President of the public establishment dedicated to the conservation and restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral, General Jean-Louis Georgelin added: “I am pleased that the City of Paris is sponsoring Eternelle Notre-Dame, which allows Parisians, as well as visitors from all over France and the four corners of the world, to discover or rediscover, through an immersive journey, the beauty of this emblem of our common history”.