The chosen date would be December 8, 2024, the day of the Immaculate Conception, according to the wishes of the ecclesiastical authorities.
Notre-Dame was one of the great centers of tourist attraction in Paris before the fire, with some 12 million visitors a year.
The spire that crowned, at 96 meters high, the transept of the cathedral was designed in the 19th century by the architect Viollet-Le-Duc, and it collapsed during the fire of April 15, 2019 that sank the entire lead roof From the temple.
This part is being rebuilt identically with the original materials: oak wood for the structure (500 tons) and lead for the cover and decorations (250 tons).
And the presence of lead
For sanitary reasons, the use of lead has been a serious problem during the reconstruction works of the temple. The European Commission plans to ban its use.
France “is in full talks” with the European authorities to keep this material. “The works comply with French regulations, which are one of the most demanding at a European level“, assures the cabinet of the minister.
As soon as the four stone arches of the transept are ready, the reconstruction of the bases of the spire will begin.
At the moment the wooden scaffolding has already been placed, in the form of semi-arches, supported on the columns. The stones that should form the arches have already been carved and are on the site.
Now the external scaffolding is missing, which will culminate at 100 m high in the final phase.
The cleaning and restoration of 42,000 square meters of walls are ready, as well as the decorations (mural paintings, stained glass windows, sculptures…) that were spared from the fire, in the southern part of the main nave.
The sculptors in turn work on a large temporary tent in front of the cathedral façade.
The diocese continues to work on the choice of the new furniture for the temple, which will be renovated taking advantage of the works. Five designers have been selected, and the winner will be announced this summer.
The goal is for Notre-Dame to embody “an educational and spiritual journey”, without being the equivalent of a museum, explained the Archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich, in the official publication “La fabrique de Notre-Dame”.
Heritage experts have approved of a more austere central axis, and the presence of contemporary art. The idea of benches endowed with some kind of light has finally been discarded, and chairs will be used instead.
The accesses to the church, located in the heart of Paris, will be simplified and the green areas will be expanded.