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Video length: 4 min
Notre-Dame de Paris: the spire of the cathedral is finally revealed
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The spire of Notre-Dame is once again visible in the Paris sky. The famous work of Viollet-le-Duc, which collapsed in the fire of April 2019, was rebuilt identically.
Parisians and tourists can once again admire the spire of Notre-Dame de Paris, Monday February 12. For the first time since the fire, the top of the needle, topped with a rooster, appeared at the top of the cathedral. A few days earlier, a team from France Télévisons climbed onto the roof of Notre-Dame to observe the spire just before dismantling the scaffolding. The roofing craftsmen placed the lead ornaments on the needle. The top of the spire therefore stands again, at 96 meters high, almost five years after its collapse in the fire.
A framework clad in lead
The spire was rebuilt identically on the model of that erected by Viollet-le-Duc, in the 19th century, in solid oak… But not for long. “This structural masterpiece will be completely covered in lead”, indicates Julien Le Bras, president of the Les Bras Frère group. The lead cover and ornaments are made in workshops in Lorraine. The lead is melted and cast using traditional techniques. The hand-cut leaves then fit the shapes of the wood like a second skin. The advantage? “Perfect sealing”explains Émile-Armand Benoît, roofer.
