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This Friday, the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, visited the Notre Dame Cathedral one day before the fourth anniversary of its fire, which occurred on April 15, 2019. The restoration team showed the progress to the president and assured that compliance with the building’s reopening deadline, scheduled for December 2024. International donations received after the fire have helped the “real” reconstruction of this historic monument.
Four years ago, one of the most important cathedrals in France was engulfed in flames. The fire at Notre Dame, a historical heritage of France and the world, caused shock and a strong sense of loss among the French. But, after years of work on the reconstruction of the building, the fourth anniversary of the fire on Saturday will be celebrated with something in mind: its reopening, scheduled for the end of 2024.
“When you set a course with an ambition is when you can move forward,” said President Emmanuel Macron during his visit this Friday, April 14, to the works of Notre Dame de Paris.
And it is that Macron had given five years for the reconstruction of the cathedral -exactly as it was before the fire- and the architects and restorers in charge of the works believe that they will meet the deadline for the reopening of one of the most important Gothic monuments in Paris, architecturally famous for the contrast of its Romanesque-style sculptures and stained glass windows.
“I think that today I can tell you that we will be able to do it. It has never been easy, but we have triumphed over all obstacles,” said Jean-Louis Georgelin, head of the restoration, while noting the progress of his team’s work.
The French president, accompanied by his wife Brigitte Macron and by the Minister of Culture, Rima Abdul-Malak, greeted and congratulated the apprentices, artisans and other workers who have carried out the task.
“They can be proud of the work done,” said the president.
At this time, one of the most anticipated advances in the work is the reconstruction of the emblematic spire of the cathedral, which millions of French people saw engulfed in flames on April 15, 2019. The base of the spire is already ready and prepared to be installed at the end of this month.
The next step is the installation of the spire itself at the end of the year, an identical copy of the previous 96-meter piece, built and added to in the 19th century by the architect Viollet-Le-Duc, all with a wooden structure. oak and lead lining.
The architects of the work remain committed to rebuilding the cathedral exactly as it was. In the 19th century, craftsmen had to cut the spire beams with saws, and the goal now is to do the same. For this, about 45 sawmills are commissioned to transform 1,200 into the beams of the needle structure.
“It is dizzying to think that we are going to build a 65-meter-high wooden structure perched 35 meters above the ground, on 13th-century masonry that was affected by the fire,” said Rémi Fromont, chief architect of historical monuments, to the media ‘BBC’.
In part, all the works have been able to be carried out with great precision due to the wave of global support after the fire, when people from all over the world donated nearly 846 million euros for its reconstruction.
The lead dust derived from the fire has forced meticulous cleaning work on the 42,000 square meters of the enclosure. This includes vaults, walls and decorations and also the organ, intact but covered in lead. The 8,000 tubes that make it up will be reassembled one by one when they are clean.
Although it is suspected that it had to do with the restoration works at the time, the causes of the fire in 2019 are still a mystery. Currently, there are two judicial investigations underway: one to determine the reasons for the accident and another to assess the subsequent contamination by lead dust.
Despite the good news in the reconstruction of the cathedral, Macron faces other problems. Before the president entered the compound, the police had to clear the area due to protests against the pension reform in France. This April 14 is a very important date for this fight between workers and unions and the government, since the Constitutional Council is expected to rule on the validity of the reform.
“Retirement at 60 years”, recalled a red banner, placed by the CGT union at the entrance to the building, in a clear message to the president.
Other workers and trade unionists threw smoke bombs from a boat that was passing in front of the cathedral. All to remind the president that, despite the progress at Notre Dame, many French people are not happy with his work.
With AFP and Reuters
