The new Minister of Culture Roselyne Bachelot estimated, Thursday, July 9, that a "broad consensus" existed to reconstruct "identically" the spire of the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral, while an advisory committee meets on this topic.

It appears "that a broad consensus is emerging in public opinion and (among) decision-makers - since at the end, it will be, I think, the President of the Republic who will decide - for identical reconstruction ", she said on France Inter. And to add: "It is always difficult to say 'exactly the same', but in the spirit of the arrow".

>> Read: One year after the fire, Notre-Dame Cathedral is slowly recovering in confined Paris

Roselyne Bachelot added that she would go, Thursday afternoon, "to greet the structure which deals with this file, which will make its conclusions".

The National Commission for Heritage and Architecture (CNPA), which brings together elected officials, experts and the architects of the site, must discuss, Thursday, the methods of reconstruction of Notre-Dame, partly ravaged by a fire in April 2019 "Three files" are to be examined: the frame, the roof and the spire, recalled the Minister of Culture.

The dismantling of the scaffolding "at the latest at the end of September"

The question of an identical reconstruction of the spire, according to the detailed plans left by the architect Viollet-le-Duc, or conversely by including a contemporary architectural gesture, as mentioned by the executive shortly after the giant fire, debated for months.

Chief architect Philippe Villeneuve is clearly against this second option, which would also take much longer.

Postponed due to confinement, the delicate dismantling of the scaffolding that surrounds Notre-Dame, deformed and welded by the heat of the fire, will be completed "at the end of September at the latest", assured General Jean a week ago -Louis Georgelin, president of the public establishment responsible for the conservation and restoration of the cathedral.

This dismantling conditions the possibility of starting the actual restoration of Notre-Dame, which President Macron wishes to see rebuilt within five years.  

With AFP

The France 24 week summary invites you to come back to the news that marked the week

I subscribe

Take international news everywhere with you! Download the France 24 app

google-play-badge_FR