France's Notre-Dame Cathedral stable enough for rebuild to start after catastrophic 2019 fire

Sep 18, 2021 05:00 pm News 166

France's Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris is finally stable and secure enough for artisans to start rebuilding it, more than two years after a shocking fire that tore through its roof, knocked down its spire and threatened to bring down the rest of the medieval monument. The government agency overseeing the reconstruction announced in a statement Saturday that the work to secure the structure — which began the day after the April 15, 2019 fire — is at last complete.Carpenters, scaffolding experts, professional climbers, organ mechanics and others took part in the effort, which included special temporary structures to secure the iconic towers, vaults and walls of the huge roofless structure, and a special "umbrella" to protect it from the weather. Negotiations will now begin with companies bidding to take part in the mammoth reconstruction effort, the statement said. It will include some 100 different tenders for various projects. Work to restore the organ will begin in the fall, with other work expected to begin in the winter.

Carpenters, scaffolding experts, professional climbers, organ mechanics and others have been involved in repairs to Notre-Dame Cathedral. (Benoit Tessier/Reuters) The agency is maintaining French President Emmanuel Macron's goal of allowing visitors back inside in 2024, the year Paris hosts the Olympics. The announcement was made on a weekend that France and countries across Europe celebrate Heritage Days, when historical landmarks, government buildings and other sites are opened to the public. Construction on the Gothic cathedral was completed in 1345.

Notre-Dame Cathedral is shown in August. The French government announced Saturday that the structure is now stable enough for a rebuilding effort to proceed, more than two years after the devastating fire that tore through its roof. (Adrienne Surprenant/The Associated Press)