Notre lady is back - but not as before

Notre lady is back - but not as before

Behind construction site cladding, barbed wire and a veil made of scaffolding has gradually recovered. Five years after the devastating fire, which left the world breathless, the cathedral returns.

a miracle of restoration

"It is a miracle. Even for us, which we are often in the cathedral, it never gets boring; it becomes more beautiful every day," said Philippe Jost, head of the reconstruction project for Notre Dame, in November.

"It has an effect similar to the Sistine chapel," he added, while he spoke of the reversal of the loved one, where something new can be discovered on every corner.

a secret of the fire

Although the cathedral is to be opened to the public on December 8th, the cause of the catastrophic fire , which rushed through the monument on April 15, 2019. Investigators, however, believe that it must be attributed to impressive numbers

The efforts to reconstruction are striking. According to Rebuilding Notre Dame de Paris, the public body led by Jost, the restoration of the historical monument cost 700 million euros ($ 737 million). A total of 846 million euros ($ 891 million) were collected in donations from 340,000 donors from 150 countries, whereby the additional funds are used to restore other monuments.

The French President Emmanuel Macron set an ambitious goal for the reconstruction five years ago and returned with Back on Friday to thank the hundreds, which deleted the flames and helped during the restoration work.

In the 2,055 days since the fire, the construction site was a busy place where teams cleaned marble mosaics, retouched frescoes and climbed over a network of scaffolding that filled the center of the landmark.

a strong symbol

For the CNN cameraman Mark Esplin, a change was particularly noticeable. He remembers that there was still a "huge hole in the ceiling" when he received permission in 2019 to visit the construction site: "You could see directly to the sky."

A CNN reportage experienced the gray up close in 2019 when the church roof was on fire and the top tower fell to the ground. Later in the evening they heard hundreds of people around the symbol of hymns.

"I remember the smell ... Mark and I got so close that my coat smoke for days," says senior producer Saskya Vandoorne.

The return of the cathedral

Today the octagonal base of the new 315 foot high top tower-almost identical to the design of the 19th century by architect Eugène Vollet-Le-Duc-filled the hole in the ceiling. Many see the roof as a symbol of strength and the commitment of the reconstruction work. The wooden top tower finally lost its scaffolding and returned to the Paris Skyline at the beginning of last year.

an important milestone

The bells, which rang for the first time since the fire last month, represented another significant milestone. The eight restored bells of the northwestern tower, which was partly destroyed by the fire, rang at the beginning of November as part of a technical test before the big opening weekend by Notre Dame on December 7th and 8th.

Some Parisians described the return of the almost life -size statue of the Virgin Mary, which also took place in November, as "wonderful". It is considered the symbolic heart of the cathedral and was miraculously spared in the fire.

emotional memories

for MONSEIGNEUR PATRICK Chauvet, who was rector of Notre Dame de Paris at the time of the fire, the memories are still very present. "It was an apocalyptic vision, the cathedral was head -standing," he describes his first glance after the fire. "I have not completely recovered; it is deeply impressed in my being."

passion for reconstruction

Macron made a solemn promise on the night of fire: "We will rebuild emergency lady. Because the French expect that and because it deserves our story," he said in front of the ruins of the cathedral. He set a bold period of five years, which seemed impossible for many. Only a few who were not directly involved was given the opportunity to observe the specialized workers and craftsmen who replicated the techniques and materials of the original building.

traditional architecture

But for everyone who will soon visit Notre lady again, this unexpected success is best noticed when you look up. The ceiling is a network of around 1,200 oak tribes - the "forest", as the workers call it - who was felled in a former royal forest, just like the bars that held the original roof. The oaks, removed in the west of France and in the northeastern part of the country to impressive framework, found their way back to Paris along the Seine.

The new shine of the cathedral

The top tower sits above, crowned with a golden phoenix that symbolically replaces the tap that was found under the ruins of the fire. It is noteworthy that most of the original beams of the cathedral come from the time before 1226, the oldest even from a tree that was felled in 1156.

To this day, France has the world's largest reserve on old oaks, a real advantage for reconstruction work. Three of the oaks used for the restoration were 230 years old, as the French National Forestry Office reports.

craft with passion

carpenters with the right “Savoir Faire” were selected from all over France and the world, similar to the specific skills required for the restoration: stonemasons, metal workers, organ builders and many other craftsmen. These craftsmen who worked together with larger companies were able to revive outdated building practices on a large scale instead of faster and cheaper modern construction processes.

for the man who is responsible for the supervision of the reconstruction of the cathedral, the use of traditional methods was of crucial importance. "It is authenticity, it is the care to respect the monument," Jost told CNN. "We use the same materials, oak and stone, and with the same techniques."

a treasure trove for rediscovering

exposes from their usual encores - the benches, vocal books and candles of the everyday service, the tourists of our time and the pilgrims of past centuries - the treasure cathedral of Paris is no longer the same. But despite the inconvenience of the restoration - the noise, plastic tarpaulins and the metal bars - the majestic appearance of Notre Dame is unmistakable.

One of the best-known elements within Notre Dame are the famous stone glass windows- masterpieces of French Gothic- in particular the three window roses on the north, south and west windade. While the glass survived the fire, it required careful restoration to remedy smoke and lead damage and comprehensive cleaning after decades of weather and wear.