IThere are two ways to tell this beautiful story. The lyrical version: the great oak of Hélyette has joined the sky for eternity. Or the more technical variant: the “2,484” log harvested in April 2021 in the Hélyette Bonnefin forest in Blasimon, in Gironde, was used for the reconstruction of the nave of Notre-Dame de Paris.
Two years earlier, the whole world witnessed the fall of the cathedral's spire and the destruction of its centuries-old framework nicknamed “the forest”, ravaged by a fire. The most famous blaze of the decade.
“I shed a few tears that day. This magnificent tree could still live for at least another century”
Mobilization of the nation. Some remarkable trees had to be sacrificed for the reconstruction of the cathedral. The Hostens forestry expert, Jacques Hazera, immediately solicited two of his clients. They have woods in Gironde. The specialist selects three oaks in Cabanac-et-Villagrains. Ironically, the town would be hit a year later by the gigantic Landiras fire. The expert also chooses a straight hardwood tree in a 27-hectare private forest in Blasimon, in Entre-deux-Mers, at Hélyette Bonnefin.
A beautiful sacrifice
“It’s a family forest, made up of pedunculate oaks, chestnut trees, hornbeams, apple trees, cherry trees, maritime pines,” says the owner, who grew up in the shade of the large oaks. “This is where my father built my first cabin. » The woman from the woods left Gironde to pursue a career as a literature teacher. She now lives in Saint-Martin-de-Gurson, in Dordogne. “I regularly return to recharge my batteries in my native forest. » Offer one of its oaks to the nation, why not. “My children pushed me to say yes. We went to visit the cathedral several times as a family,” smiles the septuagenarian.
Hélyette does not believe in the resurrection, except for churches. “I am not a believer. But Notre Dame is part of our history. » Green light. Jacques Hazera organizes everything in spring 2021: selection of the tree, old-fashioned flushing with draft horses, choice of the lumberjack. Two years to the day after the Notre-Dame fire, the chosen oak was cut down in the Blasimon woods. A stroke of white paint on the bark as a signature: “NDP”, Notre-Dame de Paris. Head to the capital.
Forest expert Jacques Hazera (left) and the owner of the Blasimon woods Hélyette Bonnefin (right).
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Fabien Cottereau / SO
Four oak trees were harvested in Gironde for the reconstruction of Notre-Dame.
May he rest in peace
“I shed a few tears that day. This magnificent tree could still live for at least another century,” admits Hélyette. Its tree will rest in peace for several centuries at 97 meters high, at the level of the nave. The forest expert pays a final tribute to the supportive oak: “It was a rather young tree (70 years old) with a circumference of 60 centimeters. It was perfectly straight with a log almost 10 meters long. »
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The “NDP” signature on the bark.
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The lumberjack who cut down the Blasimon oak.
The cathedral will be open to the public again on December 7. Hélyette Bonnefin was not invited to the inauguration. “It’s normal to give priority to firefighters, craftsmen and workers. We will visit it in 2025. I will go with my Korean daughter-in-law. She was the most moved when she saw the images of the fire. This is proof that Notre Dame is in the hearts of the whole world. »
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