The consolidation of Notre-Dame de Paris is progressing slowly six months after the fire but the "ambition" of five years for its reconstruction is maintained, 922 million euros having already been promised for the site of the century. "104 million euros have already been paid by the donors who are in total 350,000," said the Minister of Culture Franck Riester, taking stock of six months. But "it is too early to say whether the amount of donations will be enough, the state will assume its responsibilities, we will not leave Notre-Dame plan," he said.
The estimated budget for the entire consolidation phase is 85 million euros. Three foundations - Fondation Notre-Dame, Fondation du Patrimoine, Fondation de France - and the Center des monuments nationaux (CMN) raised funds for the national subscription. "The facilities for tax deductions" fuel the momentum of solidarity, Riester said. Notre-Dame "is not totally saved" as long as the vault is not consolidated and the scaffolding is not dismantled, however, reminded the minister.
"Either I restore the same, or we make a contemporary arrow and it will be another"
The chief architect of Notre-Dame, Philippe Villeneuve, said Tuesday that the five-year period, retained by President Macron, was tenable "if we redo the same" because we would win "a certain time". "Either I restore identically, it will be me, or we make a contemporary arrow and it will be another," warned the chief architect at the bedside of the cathedral since 2013.
The reconstruction of the Viollet-le-Duc spire is one of the sensitive points of the site. Mr. Villeneuve had decided in June for a restoration to the identical. It stands out from the idea of Mr. Macron to include a "contemporary gesture" on the iconic cathedral and meets the desire of a majority of French architectural continuity.