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Notre-Dame: how to gain a piece of the cathedral?

undefined undefined 11 mars 2025 undefined 08h30

The Editor

© Hannah Reding / Unsplash

The Heritage Foundation, which every year funds renovation work on the most beautiful buildings in France, including the Paris cathedral, has just launched an absolutely amazing contest that could let you win... authentic stones straight from Notre-Dame! We’ll tell you all about it.

How about having, quite literally, a piece of Paris's history in your home? Sounds tempting, right? That’s what the Heritage Foundation is offering with this exciting new concept: win a stone retrieved from the heart of Notre-Dame, which couldn’t be reused during the reconstruction after the fire in 2019. To have a chance at winning this historical artifact, and to share its story the next time you have guests over, all you need to do is participate in this "Religious Heritage Game" between March 4 and April 4, 2025.


50 stones to win

The first bit of good news we want to share with you is that there won’t be just one lucky winner at the end of the draw, but 50 lucky folks who will get the chance to receive one of the “cut limestone cubes measuring 7 centimeters on each side, weighing.”

almost 800 grams each, with one side covered by an engraved brass plate ».

The second point is that, on paper, signing up for the contest is 100% free. In reality, however, it's a little bit more complicated, because to be eligible, you need to be over 18 (which, to be fair, seems pretty logical), but you also need to make a donation to the “National Collection in support of religious heritage”, for an amount of at least 40€ — so that's just 10€ after tax deductions. While filling out the form won’t cost you anything, you will need to spend a few euros to try your luck.


A pot for a good cause

We would like to clarify that, even though participation isn't completely free, it's definitely better to invest your money in this kind of project than to enrich the ... .FDJ by purchasing Goal on Goal. And there's a reason for that! As the name of the fund receiving the donations indicates, all the money raised through this contest will be used to renovate France's religious heritage, which includes over 1000 buildings located across the country.

If you want to try your luck at walking away with a gorgeous rock of undoubtedly priceless value (and for those who might not be caught up, we're still talking about a stone from Notre-Dame, and not a diamond), you have until April 4, 2025 at 11:59 PM to meet the requirements. The draw will then be conducted by a notary between April 7 and 11, and the name of the big winner will be revealed on April 15, the date of the 6th anniversary of the commemoration of the fire.


Heritage Foundation Contest
From March 4 to April 4, 2025
More info