Notre Dame: State of restoration 4 years after the fire
The fire was still raging at Notre Dame Cathedral on April 15, 2019, when French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to renovate and rebuild the medieval monument within five years.
Since then, work on the Gothic Episcopal church has been in full swing and seemingly on schedule.
Macron’s appointed head of the construction site, former general Jean-Louis Georgelin, sees great progress in construction.
“Thanks to rigorous planning, we are confident and determined to open the Paris cathedral to worship and the public again in December 2024,” Georgelin said in an interview with the newspaper. ouest france.
He said examinations of the building’s structure showed that the cathedral’s walls remained stable despite the massive fire, as did most of the vaults. Scaffolding is being removed from the north and south transepts and first spans of the nave, he said. The stained glass windows and the large organ, which were spared by the fire, were meticulously cleaned, according to Georgelin, who adds that now that this phase is complete, the restoration of the interior will begin. However, it is necessary to remain “vigilant and focused”, said the former general.
Short circuit or cigarette caused the fire?
Exactly four years have passed since the fire. The historic building was partially destroyed in the process. Paris firefighters fought for four hours before they managed to limit the fire to the wooden roof structure. The west facade with the main towers, the nave walls, the buttresses and large parts of the ceiling vault, also the side aisles and the choir ambulatories remained stable. Heat, smoke, soot and extinguishing water affected the furniture in the church, but there was no major damage here either.
It remains unclear whether the fire was caused by a short circuit or a construction worker’s cigarette.
The extent of the destruction was not as great as initially feared. “Thank God not all the vaults collapsed,” Barbara Schock-Werner, an expert on German cathedrals, told DW at the time. Only three chests fell in the end.
Source: DW
Ashley Bailey is a talented author and journalist known for her writing on trending topics. Currently working at 247 news reel, she brings readers fresh perspectives on current issues. With her well-researched and thought-provoking articles, she captures the zeitgeist and stays ahead of the latest trends. Ashley’s writing is a must-read for anyone interested in staying up-to-date with the latest developments.