As Notre Dame burned, protestors called the shots and a gold toilet vanished, it was certainly a year to remember

We look back at the major events that made the headlines this year

A public spat between officials erupted this week in Paris over the reconstruction of the fire-ravaged cathedral and whether its historic spire should be restored as it was or a new spire built in its place

Bears Ears in the US, a Peruvian valley near Machu Picchu and Notre Dame in Paris join the 2020 roster

Lobby group warns of crumbling buildings and leaking roofs following “decades of underinvestment”

Five months on we look at the steps and measurements implemented by experts to start rebuilding the fire-ravaged cathedral

Foundation secures funds from Bernard Arnault and François Pinault towards the reconstruction of the cathedral

A 2010-12 effort to map every inch of the cathedral could help the post-fire reconstruction

Construction had been expected to start a week earlier, but new safety measures for the protection of workers are still being tested

But attempts in the senate to ensure it will look as before the fire were dropped from the final version

Complaint accuses authorities of failing to protect locals from potential health risks after fire

The Courtauld Institute of Art has launched an online exhibition which shows a selection of digitised images of the Paris cathedral

France is due to provide a report on the fire-ravaged church this year

Wim Delvoye, one of the artists who submitted a proposal, says he is confident the government will pivot to his solution

Opera expert Sylvain Fort will oversee the billionaire’s museums in Venice and Paris

The current approach to its restoration fails to take account of the interconnected structural “engineering” of Gothic architecture

Matisse's 1900 painting of the gothic cathedral risked taking on elegiac significance before the fire was extinguished

The cathedral’s 19th-century additions are as much part of its history as its Gothic vaults, says a former director of Unesco’s World Heritage Centre

Conservators, curators, academics, architects and engineers denounce French president's "political calendar"

Complex conservation issues mean it could easily take a decade or more to rebuild the Medieval cathedral

A spire competition is the wrong approach

We talk about the effects of the fire at Notre Dame, the building’s history, and what happens next. And we speak to satirical artist Christopher Spencer, the man behind Cold War Steve. Produced in association with Bonhams, auctioneers since 1793.

The Art Newspaper network, which includes the Giornale dell’Arte, The Art Newspaper France, The Art Newspaper Russia, and The Art Newspaper China, has gathered together comments from three continents

The cathedral’s roof, wholly destroyed in the fire, was built of some 1300 great trees

The Belgian, known for his sculptures in a Northern European Gothic style, is already devising a new spire

But Pinault family says it is not seeking tax relief for its €100m donation towards the reconstruction effort

Several charitable and crowdfunding campaigns have launched since the fire

French Prime Minister wants to crown the building with a “spire adapted to the techniques and challenges of our times”