Notre Dame Cathedral and French Culture: The Meaning of a National Monument

The great fire in the famous Notre Dame Cathedral badly damaged a great Parisian monument, but it seemed to affect French national identity almost as profoundly as it damaged the church itself. How does the history of this iconic cathedral embody the complexity of French culture and national memory? This question shapes the themes of this seminar, which will explore the significance of Notre Dame in French architectural history, political culture, literary works, and musical traditions. Drawing on diverse scholarly perspectives, our speakers will provide wide-ranging interpretations of how the history of Notre Dame has contributed to French cultural and political life since the Middle Ages and explain why the great fire created such deep national grief in contemporary France.

TOPICS & SPEAKERS

The Fire ThisTime: Notre Dame in Paris, Medieval Fires, and Gothic Creativity

Caroline Bruzelius, Anne Murnick Cogan Professor Emerita of Art and Art History, Duke University

The Political Conflicts, Nationalist Rituals, and Cultural Symbolism of Notre Dame Cathedral

Lloyd Kramer, Professor of History and Director, Carolina Public Humanities

Notre Dame and Literary Imagination: The Cathedral as a “Character” in French Fiction

Jessica Tanner, Assistant Professor of French

The Soundscape of a Cathedral: Music at Notre Dame

Annegret Fauser, Cary C. Boshamer Distinguished Professor of Music

Notre Dame and French Identity: From Medieval Times to the 21st Century

A panel discussion with our speakers

TIME AND TUITION

9:00am-5:00pm, Saturday, September 14. The tuition is $125 ($115 until September 5). Tuition for teachers is $62.50 ($57.50 until September 5). Teachers can also receive a $75 stipend after attending (click here for more information) and 10 contact hours for 1 unit of renewal credit. The optional lunch on Saturday is $15.00.

Discounts are available for UNC students, faculty, & staff. See our UNC Student, Staff, & Faculty Discounted Registration Policy here.

Co-Sponsored by the General Alumni Association.

For information about GAA discounts and other scholarships available to Humanities Program participants, click here.

Register here or call us at 919.962.1544.