Notre Dame Thousands of craftsmen and the president’s promise: how France managed to rebuild the church in just 5 years

Like a phoenix reborn from its ashes, Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris once again shines in all its splendor of stone and stained glass thanks to an expensive and quick renovation following a fire in 2019.

After a fire destroyed the roof and spire of the Paris cathedral, while ashes still fell in front of the esplanade of this gem of medieval architecture, President Emmanuel Macron made a promise that many considered impossible: to rebuild Notre Dame. Its doors will be opened again in 5 years.

Five and a half years have passed since then; Notre Dame is not ready to welcome the faithful and visitors during this summer’s Olympic Games in the French capital, as Macron wanted, but it will reopen to the public on December 7.

The work on its interior has been completed, and the visit of the French President to the temple this Friday has given the world the opportunity to reveal its renovated interior, which was kept secret and of which only a few images have been published. Had happened. Year on progress of restoration work.

And what the cameras have shown is, in the words of Hugh Scofield, the BBC correspondent in Paris, who was able to get a look inside, “A wonderful experience.”

The restoration “is not limited to the renewal or reconstruction of the roof structure, the interior has been cleaned not only of the remains of the fire, but also of a lot of dirt and soot since the last restoration in the 1950s, and all that Has been eliminated,” Scofield explained.

Those who have recently been inside confirm that the experience is overwhelming, and the cathedral shows a new clarity and brightness that contrasts with the gloom that had previously invaded it.

cut stone It now displays an immaculate whiteness that has not been seen in the cathedral for centuries.

“They are links in this ancient chain,” the French president told the approximately 1,300 workers and artisans taking part in the works – among the 2,000 who were invited for this first visit.

“They have changed the name of this place where he gave five years of his life,” Macron said.He shares the most beautiful work of the century,

On the night of April 15, 2019, viewers around the world watched in amazement as live images were broadcast of orange flames spreading across the cathedral’s roof and then – at the height of the fire – the 19th-century spire crashing . Base.

The cathedral, whose structure was already a cause for concern before the fire, was being renovated at the time. Theories about the cause of the fire include a cigarette discarded by an employee or an electrical fault.

About 600 firefighters battled the fire for 15 hours.

At one point, it was feared that the eight bells of the north tower were in danger of falling, bringing down the tower and possibly most of the walls of the cathedral.

were the great heroes of the night 20 firefighters who risked their lives And in 15-30 minutes they managed to climb the towers and extinguish the fire.

Ultimately, the structure was saved.

What was destroyed was the spire, the wooden beams of the roof (known as “forests”) and the stone vault over the center of the transept and part of the nave.

Considerable damage was also caused by falling timbers and masonry and water spilling from fire hoses.

Fortunately, the list of what was saved is very long: all the stained glass windows, most of the statues and works of art, and the holy relic known as the Crown of Thorns. The organ, the second largest in France, was badly affected by dust and smoke, but could be repaired.

More than 8,000 of its tubes were dismantled and sent to three workshops in the south of France for cleaning and restoration.

pastor of The cathedral also celebrated something”Miracle”, Miraculous Survivor.

Among them, the 14th-century statue located in the choir, known as the Virgen del Pilar, narrowly escaped being crushed by falling masonry.

Sixteen huge copper statues of the apostles and evangelists, which surround the spire, were dismantled for renovation just four days before the fire.

After surveying the devastation the next day, Macron made what many considered a hasty promise: reopening Notre Dame to visitors within five years.

A public body was created by law to manage the functionsAnd there was an immediate response to a fundraising appeal. In total, 846 million euros (US$893 million) were raised, mostly from large sponsors, but also from hundreds of thousands of smaller donors.

was the person responsible for the work Jean Louis Georgelin

An outspoken army general who shared Macron’s impatience with committees and Establishment “Ancestral”.

“They are used to dealing with frigates. “It’s an aircraft carrier,” he criticized.

Georgelin is universally credited for the undoubted success of the project, but he died in an accident in the Pyrenees in August 2023 and was replaced by Philippe Jost.

It is estimated that some 2,000 masons, carpenters, repairmen, roofers, casters, art experts, sculptors and engineers Worked on the project, which was a major boost for French craftsmanship.

Many trades such as stone carving have seen an increase in the number of apprentices thanks to advertising.

“(The Notre Dame project) has been the equivalent of a world’s fair, in the sense that it has been a showcase of our craftsmanship. It’s a fantastic international showcase,” says Pascal Payen-Appenzeller, whose association promotes the traditional construction trade.

The first task of the project was to secure the site and then Dismantle the massive tangle of metal scaffolding that previously surrounded the summitBut they melted in the fire and merged with the stone.

The 1,326 5-millimeter lead plates that covered the cathedral’s roof and weighed 210 tons were another headache for the technicians.

The lead melted, and some of this heavy metal hazardous to health was released in the form of particles, are polluting the environment of the capitalTherefore, expensive and complex cleanup had to be done, which delayed the work.

From the beginning a decision had to be taken about the nature of the renovation: to faithfully recreate the medieval building and the 19th-century neo-Gothic alterations made by the architect Eugene Viollet-le-Duc, or to take the opportunity to give it up. Creating a modern impression.

Request for new design gave birth to unusual ideasLike a glass roof, a green “eco-roof”, the spire topped by a giant flame instead of a flame and a vertical laser that shoots into the sky.

Faced with opposition from experts and the public, all was abandoned and the reconstruction largely faithful to the original, although with some concessions to modern materials and safety requirements. For example, ceiling beams are now protected by sprinklers and partitions.

The only point of contention that remains is Macron’s desire to design modern stained glass windows in the six side chapels. Although the artists have entered a competition, there is strong opposition in the French art world.

Macron has tried to make The renewal of Notre Dame is a motto and a symbol,

He has been deeply involved in the project and has visited the cathedral on several occasions.

At a time when its political fortunes are at their lowest – following tough parliamentary elections in July – the reopening is a much-needed morale boost.

There were also those who said he was stealing the show by holding the ceremony this Friday — officially marking the end of the project — a week before it formally reopened. In fact, part of the first and long-awaited images of the interior also essentially focused on it.

In response, Elysee officials said that the cathedral – like all French religious buildings under the 1905 law – belongs to the state, with the Catholic Church being its “due user”; And? Without Macron’s intense activism, the work would never have been completed so quickly.,

“Five years ago everyone thought it would be difficult to keep the president’s promises,” said the Elysee insider.

“Today we have proof not only that it was possible, but also that deep down it was what everyone wanted. What people will see (in the new Notre Dame) is the grandeur and strength of collective will – à la franchise,

,With reporting by Hugh Scofield.

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