Notre-Dame de Paris | Macron welcomes reconstruction deadlines respected

(Paris) French President Emmanuel Macron assured Friday that the deadlines for the reconstruction of Notre-Dame de Paris, ravaged by a fire in 2019, were “met”, also announcing that he intended to invite the Pope for the reopening of the cathedral expected in a year to the day.

Coming to the site to start the countdown on D-365 of reopening, the Head of State also announced that contemporary stained glass windows would be made at Notre-Dame, an 850-year-old building, to bear “the mark of the 21st^e century “.

“We are meeting the deadlines,” welcomed the President of the Republic, who had set an ambitious timetable for reconstruction in five years. “It’s a fantastic image of hope and of a France that knows how to rebuild,” he added to the press.

Mr. Macron notably went to the top of the new spire which, at an altitude of 96 meters, has reappeared in recent days under the scaffolding and has been topped since Wednesday with its cross while waiting for its rooster.

He spoke of “a moment that is both important and moving” which testifies to the “extraordinary progress” of “this project which seemed impossible”.

Asked on the France 2 channel about the possible presence of Pope Francis at the ceremony scheduled for December 8, 2024, the head of state replied: “I hope so, in any case we will invite him.”

On April 15, 2019, a spectacular fire ravaged the cathedral, including the spire, designed by the 19th century architect^e century Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, had collapsed before the eyes of Parisians and tourists. Investigations led by three judges are continuing to determine the origin of the fire.

Images of the flames were broadcast live, sparking global emotion. Before the disaster, the monument attracted 12 million visitors each year.

Mr. Macron symbolically gave the last stroke of the chisel to the inscription, in the wood of the arrow, of the name of “his general”, Jean-Louis Georgelin, whom he had charged with carrying out the titanic project and who died in a hiking accident last summer.

Notre-Dame Museum

The President of the Republic, accompanied by his wife Brigitte Macron, then went to the nave and choir of the cathedral which are beginning to be cleared of their scaffolding.

In a letter sent this week, M^gr Laurent Ulrich, Archbishop of Paris, had confirmed his “wish” to see the State order “a series of six stained glass windows for the south side chapels of the nave”.

“I fully subscribe to it,” Mr. Macron responded on Friday. “It is with my full agreement that we are going to launch a competition which will allow contemporary artists to submit, on the basis of an order that will be placed, a figurative work,” he added.

According to him, “the century which is ours will have its place among several others which appear in the works of this cathedral”, a jewel of Gothic art which he has also decided to have reconstructed “identically” .

The Head of State also announced that the old stained glass windows, “which will be removed” and “which date from Viollet-le-Duc”, as well as the rooster which fell on April 15, 2019 in the collapse of the spire, “will take place in a museum of the work of Notre-Dame de Paris” which will see the light of day “in the premises of the Hôtel-Dieu”, nearby on the Île de la Cité.

After the arrow, the next step should be its lead covering, as well as that of the roof.

A choice that continues to create controversy. Environmentalist senator Anne Souyris, former deputy for health of the mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo, called on Tuesday on the social network tons of lead.

“It’s a good decision”, “taking into account health constraints but also on an architectural level” because of its “coherence”, defended Mr. Macron on Friday.

Since March, justice has been investigating the potentially harmful consequences of lead pollution allegedly caused by the 2019 fire.