return to the construction site of the century

On April 15, 2019, Paris lost one of its symbols: the flaming spire of the cathedral, erected by Viollet-le-Duc in the 19th century, collapsed in front of helpless spectators. After the fire was brought under control, the first images of the interior of the monument suggested the worst: two vaults had not resisted.

The foundations were immediately consolidated and the vaults secured with plaster. The soot-covered stained glass windows and the organ were dismantled for treatment. In the French forests, 2,000 century-old oak trees were taken to rebuild the framework using 13th century methods. In Moselle, carpenters reproduced Eugène Viollet-le-Duc's arrow. The assembly of the framework began in the summer of 2023, under the amazed eyes of locals and tourists. In six months, Notre-Dame regained its appearance.

Watch the full report in the video above.