And time to come back to this wonderful epic work going on in my eternal Paris. I have follow thru on the reconstruction of Notre Dame Cathedral since its unfortunate fire in April 2019. There are several posts on the work going on in my blog; and feels it needs another update. Therefore, without further words here is the Notre Dame Cathedral update for April 2023. From the beginning I had full faith it will be done and it will stay tune December 8 2024 we are marching on, Allez les Bleus!!!
The CNRS/Ministry of Culture scientific project is organized into 8 thematic working groups whose leaders meet every two months by the coordinators to take stock of the research projects, their funding, their progress, their promotion through conferences, publications or online contributions They are made up of researchers from the National Center for Scientific Research, the Ministry of Culture, the University, but also associate foreign specialists. They bring together scientists from many disciplines: archaeologists, historians, art historians, anthropologists, physicists, chemists, engineers, computer scientists… who put their science at the service of Notre-Dame and its heritage.
The structure of Notre-Dame, the main victim of the fire, was often compared to a “forest” because of the large number of beams and their density researchers from the Acoustics working group are studying Notre-Dame with the aim of finding acoustics as close as possible to those which were able to accommodate the singing of the organs and the masters and choirs. This working group of the scientific site sheds new light on the use of iron and lead in the building and invites us to question the evolution of practices related to these metals over the centuries. Notre-Dame-de-Paris Cathedral is lit by more than 120 windows dating from the 13C to the 20C. During the fire, the vault was able to fulfill its role as a shield by isolating more than 3000 m2 of glazed surfaces and the firefighters managed to control the action of the water to preserve all of the stained glass windows. A transdisciplinary team contributes its skills to the restoration project. It also seizes this opportunity to study and enhance the stained glass windows and especially those of the 19C, less known, but representing an important set made under the authority of Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. The fire not only destroyed the framework of Notre-Dame but also damaged its stone structures (vaults, walls, columns). The action of the heat or the water poured out to put out the fire has indeed altered the solidity of the vaults, the condition of the masonry… which must therefore be the subject of technical diagnoses. This is why a working group bringing together some thirty stone specialists from different scientific fields has been set up to work on these questions. This working group is interested in the structural evaluation of the elements that make up the framework of the cathedral (masonry structure, wooden frame, belfries, etc.). It also analyzes the actions that can be exerted on the latter, by fire or wind. The ambition of this group is to build a “digital ecosystem” of the cathedral. This innovative monumental information system is designed to support the scientific study and restoration of the cathedral as the restoration work progresses.
Three types of work are currently underway: cleaning and restoration of the interior of the building; restoration of collapsed masonry and vaults;and work to restore the missing spire and frameworks is underway, both on the Île de la Cité and in the workshop. placing the stool. This is the base on which the new arrow will be erected. Once this task is completed, the spire and its scaffolding will then be able to gradually raise by the end of the year. It looks like a square that measures 13 meters by 13 meters. Since last week we started to mount this stool in the cathedral 30 meters high. It’s almost finished already. The 96 meter high spire is to be rebuilt identically to Viollet-le-Duc’s design. It should be visible in 2023, and the 600-ton scaffolding needed to carry out the work, as well as that of the transept crossing, was delivered at the end of 2022, announced the public establishment in charge of the restoration site in a update on the works, December 1, 2022. Luckily, the great organ had not been touched during the fire. However, it was taken apart to be cleaned. The various pieces had been covered with lead dust during the incident. Laying has already begun, and each of the instrument’s 8,000 pipes will be laid one by one. The first collapsed vault in the north transept has been resealed. The diagonal arches and the oculus of the vault of the crossing of the transept have been reassembled for the installation of the stained glass windows. As a reminder, none of the cathedral’s stained glass windows were destroyed or damaged by the fire. Dirty, however, they had to be thoroughly cleaned. On the masonry side, work is progressing: the first collapsed vault in the north transept has been closed. The diagonal arches and the oculus of the vault of the crossing of the transept have been reassembled , Then and until the end of the year 2023, we will see the scaffolding which will surround the spire gradually rise in the sky of Paris, as it is built. Eventually, the scaffolding, weighing 600 tons, will culminate at 100 meters (for the record, the arrow culminates at 96 meters), the institution continues on It has again confirm will be ready by December 8 2024 !!!
The official reconstruction of our Notre Dame : https://www.rebatirnotredamedeparis.fr/
The Pelerin or Pilgrim magazine on the advances of our Notre Dame: https://www.lepelerin.com/patrimoine/notre-dame-un-chantier-hors-norme
There you go folks, hope you enjoy the post as I. And we are all eagerly waiting for the moment even if events has been held and will be before full restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral of Paris. And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 
Leave a Reply