It is around 6.30 p.m. when the flames begin to devour the interior of the framework of Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral, this Monday, April 15, 2019. The building built between the 12th and 14th century becomes in a few minutes a real blaze. Nearby: the shrill sirens of the emergency services, the vibrations of a helicopter and a strong smell of smoke invade the air. Shortly before 8 p.m., the famous spire, 93 meters high, crumbles before the eyes of thousands of Parisian men and women, gathered around the monument and divided between sadness and amazement.
#NotreDame is on fire under the helpless gaze of Parisians pic.twitter.com/Tgj9cGnNzC
- Romain Lescurieux (@RLescurieux) April 15, 2019Nearly 400 firefighters are then mobilized for 15 hours to finally extinguish the fire completely the next day around 9:30 am. The structure of the cathedral "is saved and preserved in its entirety", say the soldiers of the fire. The damage remains considerable, however.
"Our Lady is not saved"
Two-thirds of the roof was destroyed, the frame nicknamed "The Forest" was devoured by the flames, part of the vault was hit, charred beams collapsed. Between 350 and 400 tonnes of lead which made up the roof and the spire were reduced to ashes. Fortunately, 1,300 works were sheltered during the evening, at the Louvre museum or in secure warehouses to be preserved and restored. But the Notre-Dame site promises to be colossal.
Emmanuel Macron quickly evokes the reconstruction of the monument. “We will rebuild this cathedral. All together. It is part of our French destiny. I commit myself to it: as of tomorrow a national subscription will be launched, and far beyond our borders ”. The works begin under the aegis of Louis Georgelin, the general responsible for piloting the renaissance in five years of the cathedral. The soldier commissioned by Emmanuel Macron has indeed promised a Te Deum to Notre-Dame on April 16, 2024. "Notre-Dame is not saved," he recalls in January 2020. A few days before the sad anniversary, the The danger order has still not been lifted. "She is under surveillance and we are optimistic but we must remain cautious," says one within the Public Establishment responsible for the conservation and restoration of the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral, contacted by 20 Minutes . Currently dormant due to the coronavirus, the site had already been interrupted for three weeks last summer due to the risk of lead contamination.
Security, consolidation, coronavirus and restoration
“We planned to start dismantling the scaffolding on March 23. A complex and spectacular operation which required a protocol (…) We were also installing a second scaffolding above the first to allow rope access technicians to hang on and descend on the damaged scaffolding and thus cut out the 40,000 tubes. We will have to resume this when the site will restart, ”explains Jeremie Patrier-Leitus, director of communication, cultural mediation and development at the Public Establishment. This complex undertaking must last several months. It is notably when this enormous scaffolding is completely removed that the cathedral can be declared safe. The cleaning of the vaults should also be restarted.
Because in one year, there have already been a number of operations carried out by the companions. Protections were placed on the windows. The choir, nave and transept of Notre-Dame were put out of water with tarpaulins. The remains were cleared and then sorted using remote-controlled robots. Protective measures such as nets have been put in place to protect local residents and people working on the site, in particular to avoid falling rocks. The pinions of the transepts have been reinforced and stabilized. The flying buttresses which ensure the stability of the cathedral have all been arched. Finally, a 74-meter crane was installed. But all operations have been suspended since March 16. A time to put the site to sleep which finally allows you to understand the rest from a distance.
"We maintain the 2024 target"
The Public Establishment says that it is advancing on the next stages of the construction site: The removal of the organ, the lead depollution of the cathedral or the securing of the vaults. Architects also continue to work on diagnostic and restoration studies. And thus shed light on the choices and decisions made for reconstruction. Can containment cause a possible delay? Louis Georgelin's teams refute. "For the moment, we are maintaining the objective of returning the cathedral to worship and visitors on April 16, 2024".
In the meantime, time is double adaptation. The diocese of Paris announced last week a series of devices for Easter celebrations in a cathedral under construction and in the midst of a coronavirus crisis. Seven people, religious and three artists, observed a "time of meditation" Friday, Good Friday for Catholics. Archbishop Michel Aupetit, Archbishop of Paris, notably venerated the Holy Crown of Thorns in the heart of the cathedral.
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VIDEO. Fire at Notre-Dame de Paris: "It's the last time we see it", "sad and strange" ... Parisians shocked
- Construction site
- Notre Dame de Paris
- Fire of Notre-Dame de Paris
- Coronavirus
- Paris