The first images of the interior of Notre-Dame de Paris were revealed this Friday, November 29, through Emmanuel Macron's stroll through the religious building.
More than 2,000 days after the fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, the first images of the interior of the building were revealed this Friday, November 29, during Emmanuel's final site visit Macron.
“It is at the same time repaired, reinvented and rebuilt,” declared the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, upon entering the cathedral, before adding “it is sublime”.
A clearer cathedral
As a result of the work, the walls were cleaned, giving an impression of clarity.
“What struck me when I returned was that it was clear,” responded the Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, also present at this presidential visit.
The renovated rose window of Notre-Dame de Paris has been unveiled.
“2,000 pieces of wood” for the frames
Emmanuel Macron then continued his stroll with a visit to the frames, made up of “2,000 pieces of wood, approximately 1,000 oaks which come from all over France”.
Around fifty people worked on this framework. It has been secured against the risk of fire. Mists were installed on these beams which would disperse fine droplets of water if a fire were to break out. Thermal cameras were also installed.
Emmanuel Macron continued his visit under the framework towards the spire. “You were there and up to the task, it is I who am infinitely grateful to you. I know that you put in the heart, the time, the energy, I measured it at each visit and it “It’s an immense pride for all of us to see this,” he declared to a craftsman.
Julien Lebras, CEO of the Lebras Frères Group, specified that the design of the frame represented 20,000 hours of study, 100,000 hours of cutting in the workshops and 40,000 hours of installation for the frame.
The Saint-Marcel chapel
The procession then headed towards the choir enclosure, renovated by around thirty people. A painting restorer presented them with the Saint-Marcel chapel, which has regained its colors.
“We worked with active tension gels, gels that dissolve dirt, without attacking the original paint,” she explains. “We really only did some cleaning, where there were small gaps, we added color.”
“The originality of Viollet-le-Duc is its range of colors,” she adds.
The Crown of Thorns Reliquary
Emmanuel Macron passed in front of the axial chapel, to admire the reliquary where the Crown of Thorns will be placed, the Friday following the reopening of the cathedral.
“It’s beautiful, it’s very impressive,” declared the President of the Republic.
2,000 people mobilized for reconstruction
At the end of these five years of work, the public establishment Rebâtir Notre-Dame de Paris estimates at nearly 2,000 the number of people who, since the day of the fire, have worked on the restoration of the cathedral, in Paris and everywhere else in France. Nearly 250 companies participated in the project.
Concerning the cost of the work, after the fire in the cathedral, a significant outpouring of generosity made it possible to raise a total of 846 million euros from pledges to finance the reconstruction of Notre-Dame de Paris. To date, 98% of these promises have been cashed or have given rise to firm legal commitments.
