Iconic Notre Dames des Champs church in Paris closed after 2 fires in 48 hours

Church of Notre-Dame-des-Champs in Paris, which arsonists set fire to the day after an electrical fire damaged the church. | Credit: Julien Jean Zayatz/Shutterstock

Notre Dame des Champs, an iconic Catholic church in the Parisian neighborhood of Montparnasse, was targeted in an arson attack just 24 hours after an accidental fire broke out in its choir loft.

The cause of the first fire, which broke out on the morning of July 23, has been attributed to a failed electrical circuit that resulted in the destruction of the church’s sound system and choir organ, according to a Le Figaro report.

The next day, in a side chapel dedicated to St. Joseph, vandals set fire to wood panels. A recently renovated canvas located above the wood panels sustained significant damage. A statue of St. Joseph fell and broke while firefighters put out the flames, according to a reportfrom the Tablet, which said there have been “50 fires or attempted arson cases” in French churches in the past year, compared with 38 in 2023.

No one was reported injured in either incident.

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