Heritage Days, this weekend, reserve their share of exceptional visits and rare items. One of them attracted our attention from Europe 1, and for good reason, it was almost never shown to the public those days. It is a monumental carpet, which only comes out on rare occasions ... and survived the fire of Notre-Dame.
Rolled in crates near the choir, the object is only deployed for special occasions: the coronation of Napoleon III or the coming of Pope John Paul II, among others. Restored two years ago, the carpet has escaped the flames, but not tons of water spilled to extinguish the fire. "There was a race against the clock because a carpet of this size in pure wool, rolled, with water, it can rot very quickly, we knew it had to be released as soon as possible," recalls Hervé Le Moine the director of the national furniture.
Days of drying ... and freezing
The carpet was released six days after the fire. It then took days to dry. Its rescuers even had to freeze it to prevent it from rotting. If it is still there, the object has nevertheless been damaged by water. "There are brown spots, the colors have a little drooled, there are halos", recognizes Hervé Le Moine. Not to mention creases and tears after the shock treatment.
The restoration, which will take place in the Gobelins factory, where it was created almost 200 years ago, will take months. But to see it before during these Heritage Days, it will be enough to go to the National Furniture.