Four years after the fire that ravaged Notre-Dame de Paris, the Gothic cathedral will have its spire back in place by the end of the year.
The installation of the 80-tonne oak base of Notre-Dame's spire will be completed on 15 April 2023, according to the public body in charge of the restoration project.
The replacement spire will be identical to its predecessor. The original was designed by 19th century architect Viollet-Le-Duc.
It will be rebuilt with the original materials: oak for the timber structure and lead for the outer covering and ornaments.
The reopening of the Gothic masterpiece is still planned for December 2024.
The 2019 fire triggered an unprecedented surge of solidarity with rebuilding funds of 846 million euros came from 340,000 donors.
The restoration work is now in full swing, after two years devoted to making the building safe.
The cleaning of the walls, the painted decorations and the vaults, covering an area of 42,000 square metres, is well underway, according to the public institution.
The re-installation of the great organ, cleaned and restored by three workshops in Corrèze, Hérault and Vaucluse, has begun.
Its 8,000 pipes will be reassembled one by one. It was not damaged by the flames, nor by the water used by the fire brigade, but was covered with lead dust.
The stained glass windows in the 39 upper bays of the nave, choir and transept, as well as the windows in the sacristy, have also been cleaned and restored.
Stone masons have been gradually rebuilding the collapsed walls and vaults.
An investigation is still underway to try to determine the causes of the fire, while a judge is also investigating lead pollution.
France's Culture Minister, Rima Abdul Malak, announced on 12 April the acceleration of a plan to secure French cathedrals, with funding of 220 million euros by the end of 2023 for 87 buildings.
(with AFP)
