Bits and pieces

That's what could fall on your head if this part of the Madeleine church was not covered in netting. Time and pollution take their toll on stone buildings and they can begin to crumble. Renovation is necessary, but it's time-consuming and expensive. In the meantime, some temporary protection is warranted.

This is the netting that's intended to catch any falling pieces of stone.

The view above is part of the back (north) façade of the Madeleine church. It's quite plain. The gates that surround the building were closed here, so my only access was by way of the colonnade on the podium level or through a small gate on the eastern side at street level. I read that restoration is under way and that the city is putting up a good sum, but they continue looking for donations and other private funds to complete the work.

Saint Denis (Dionysius in Latin) was the first bishop of Paris in the 3rd century.

Some of the statues that adorn the eastern and western façades also need some work. I took this photo of Saint Denis for no particular reason, except as an example of the statues in their niches. It's also much cleaner than the others, so I assume its restoration was part of the first phase of exterior work.