Notre Dame’s spire to be majestically restored by year’s end

Issuance of: 2023/04/15 – 14:29

Installation of the 80-tonne oak base of Notre Dame Cathedral’s spire is expected to be completed on April 15, 2023, according to the official agency responsible for the restoration project.

The replacement spire is identical to the previous spire. The original was designed by his 19th century architect. Viollet-le-Duc.

It is rebuilt with the original materials: oak for the wooden structure and lead for the exterior and ornamentation.

The reopening of the Gothic masterpiece is scheduled for December 2024.

The 2019 fires sparked an unprecedented surge of solidarity with €846 million in rebuilding funds from 340,000 donors.

After two years spent securing the building, restoration work is now in full swing.

Cleaning of walls, painted decorations and vaults covering an area of ​​42,000 square meters is well underway, according to the public agency.

The rebuilding of the large organ, which has been cleaned and restored in three workshops in Corrèze, Herault and Vaucluse, has begun.

Reassemble 8,000 pipes one by one. It had no damage from the flames or the water used by the fire brigade, but was covered in lead dust.

The nave, choir, stained glass windows in the 39 upper bays of the transept, and windows in the sacristy were also cleaned and restored.

Masons are gradually rebuilding the collapsed walls and vaults.

Ann investigation Attempts to determine the cause of the fire are still underway while a judge investigates lead contamination.

France’s Minister of Culture, Lima Abdul-Malak, announced on April 12 that it will accelerate plans to secure French cathedrals, providing 220 million euros in funding for 87 buildings by the end of 2023.

(with AFP)