NOTRE-DAME DE PARIS ❘ HERITAGE
“NOTRE-DAME ONLY NEEDS AROUND 1,000 TREES, SO IF EACH TOWN OR VILLAGE IN FRANCE GAVE ONE, IT WOULD BE DONE”
will allow a final diagnosis, and the launch of the restoration studies. Then we can schedule the work to be done.” For now, the aim is to complete the removal of the scaffolding by early summer – assuming all goes to plan – and clear up any remaining lead residue. Only then will the final decision be made as to how to rebuild Notre-Dame – with renovation work expected to begin in earnest from 2021.
In the meantime, a consultation is under way over what form that renovation should take. At the heart of the debate is the distinctive lead spire, which was added by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc in the mid- 1800s, and whether its replacement should be an exact replica or a modern alternative. Another point of much conjecture has been the famous ‘forested’ roof. Made from more than 1,000 medieval oak trees, it has been questioned whether it would even be possible to recreate it in the same way today.
AUTHENTIC CRAFTSMANSHIP One person well placed to comment is Florian Renucci, the master- mason at Guédelon, in Burgundy, where they are constructing a medieval castle from scratch using original techniques. Based on their experience, he says there is certainly no logistical reason why the roof couldn't be restored in a way that respects the original structure. “It is perfectly possible to rebuild Notre-Dame exactly as it was before,” says Florian. “Firstly, we have more than six million hectares of oak woodland in France. Notre-Dame only needs around 1,000 trees, so if each town or village gave one, it would be done. Secondly, there’s so much fake news on the subject – for example, that we have to wait 1,000 years for the wood to be old and dry enough: wrong. All the wood used in medieval times was unseasoned. Lastly, there’s a misconception that we don’t have the people to do it, but that’s simply not true either.
“Here at Guédelon, we have the skilled craftspeople, the techniques and the economic model. It’s true that the renovation in its entirety would take longer than five years, but why not make the reconstruction part of the story – helping to create a new
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Main image and below: The view from the rear of the cathedral today as work to restore it is carried out; Notre-Dame as seen from across the river on the Left Bank – at a glance, it is easy not to notice the terrible toll of the fire
NOTRE-DAME: NEED TO KNOW Regarded as one of the greatest Gothic cathedrals in the world, Notre-Dame is the most visited monument in Europe. Construction began under the reign of Louis VII, in 1163, and the building was finally completed almost 200 years later. Located right in the heart of Paris, on the Île de la Cité, this masterpiece of medieval architecture has been the scene of many important events over the centuries. As well as the crowning of King Henry VI of England in 1431, Napoleon’s coronation took place there in 1804. Later, it was immortalised in Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. During its lifetime, the cathedral has survived everything from the French
Revolution to two World Wars and has been renovated several times – most notably by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc in the mid-1800s. It was undergoing routine works when the fire broke out on the evening of April 15, 2019. The cause of the blaze remains unknown.
Apr/May 2020 FRANCE TODAY ❘ 61
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