Notre-Dame de Paris: this secret place where the debris of the fire is kept

Thousands of “remains” hidden from view. Two weeks before the reopening of Notre-Dame de Paris, debris will remain behind the scenes: in wood, stone or metal, all now rest in an undisclosed location, to be studied by archaeologists.

Around 10,000 pieces of charred wood, thousands of metal staples and nails, and even blackened blocks of stone are stored on dozens of shelves. As shown in the subject at the top of this article, we also find the remains of the 13th century framework, the vaults and the spire of Viollet-le-Duc. The rare people admitted to this warehouse in the Paris region are subject to drastic security conditions. The cause: possible lead contamination.

The status of “movable archaeological property”

Immediately after the fire, archaeologists from the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs (Drac) of Ile-de-France decided to consider all the debris and rubble from the fire as “archaeological remains“. As such, they have been classified as historical monuments and have the status of “movable archaeological property“, which makes them inalienable.

“Taking elements to save them after a disaster had already been done, as after the fire of the Parliament of Brittany in Rennes or the Château de Lunéville (Meurthe-et-Moselle). What was new at Notre-Dame was the scale and systematic nature“, explained Stéphane Deschamps, head of the regional archeology department of the Drac.

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The archaeologists, who could not directly access the fragments due to the risk of collapse, had to carry out “proxy searches“. After photogrammetric surveys to be able to precisely locate each element, they were recovered one by one by remote-controlled machines or rope access technicians for those located on the vaults, then packaged and numbered, first under tents on the square .

“It is an extraordinary source of documentation on this building that everyone knew but which, in reality, had never been well studied. This fire, which is an absolute tragedy, also has extraordinary potential for knowledge, science and research.“, underlines the director of the Drac, Laurent Roturier, during a visit organized for some media.