MARION — The Sippican Historical Society is hosting a historian on Thursday, Dec. 12 at 6:30 p.m. who will speak about the restoration and reopening of the Cathedral of Notre Dame of Paris.

Dr. Caroline Bruzelius first worked on the cathedral during protracted cleaning of the interior in the early 1980s. Since the April 15, 2019 fire, the cathedral is both fully repaired and cleaner than it has been in almost 800 years, according to the Sippican Historical Society.

“The restoration permitted historians of architecture and specialists in materials science to examine the building ‘up close,’ material from the historical society said. “As a result, they discovered more about this magnificent building and Gothic Cathedrals in general. Come celebrate the beauty of its local limestone and the design and construction.”

Bruzelius writes extensively on religious architecture of the Middle Ages in France and Italy. She is the author of books and articles on French Gothic architecture, like Notre-Dame in Paris, and St.-Denis for example, and on the late medieval buildings of Naples. Bruzelius is a founding member of the “Wired!” group at Duke University, founded Visualizing Venice, and is a leader in digital art and architectural history, according to the Sippican Historical Society.

The speaker series event is open to both Sippican Historical Society members and the public. Donations to support programming are appreciated. RSVP for the event at sippicanhistoricalsociety.org.