Back to Notre-Dame Cathedral of Paris
A few years ago, in 2018 and 2019, I guided at Notre-Dame Cathedral. Now that it has reopened, I will guide there again. So, I reread books on Gothic architecture, followed a couple of training sessions concerning the new logistics, and searched for information about the latest reconstruction. Here are a few things I want to share with you:
Architecture:
Notre Dame is a Gothic cathedral, but what does that actually mean apart from the fact that it was built in the Middle Ages? Gothic construction was a revolution, and it allowed builders to create very high structures. Before the Gothic period, there was Romanesque architecture, where a bunch of stones supported the weight of another bunch of stones. It could not have large windows, and it was unthinkable to build very high.
Gothic churches, on the other hand, have very high ribbed vaults and a structure like a skeleton supporting all the weight. The walls do not support the weight of the roof. They could even be empty. That is why they could have those huge windows. More windows mean more light, and fewer candles were needed to brighten the interior, which meant less risk of starting a fire from inside. Ironic, I know.
Only a few of the stained-glass windows are original from the Middle Ages; most of them date from the massive 19th-century reconstruction. What? There was another reconstruction? Oh yeah, maybe bigger than the one of this decade, and it was managed by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc.
First Reconstruction
This church was badly harmed during the French Revolution, and it deteriorated over the following years. When Victor Hugo’s Notre-Dame de Paris (The Hunchback of Notre-Dame) became a massive bestseller, people from all around Europe came to Paris to see the cathedral of the novel. It was so damaged that it had to be restored.
That reconstruction took 20 years. The architect in charge, Viollet-le-Duc, carried out extensive research to make it as historically accurate as possible.
The Fire
Going back to the 21st century, there was a major restoration of the roof and its spire. On April 15, 2019, at 6:18 p.m., after the workers had left and during the evening service, the fire alarm started. Everyone was evacuated from the church, and many artworks were removed.
The original roof was made of oak wood and covered with a layer of lead. When the firefighters arrived, the wood was already burning. It was very hard to stop the fire from outside the cathedral because of all the metal covering the top. Did you know that some firefighters even risked their lives to stop the fire from inside the cathedral?
Second Reconstruction
In this reconstruction, which is still ongoing, they decided to keep Viollet-le-Duc’s version of Notre Dame, upgraded with better technology to prevent fires. In fact, the restoration after the fire went deeper than the one that started in 2018. All the limestone inside was cleaned (with sandblasting), and the chairs were replaced with a lighter type of wood. The church now looks less dark than before. They are still working on the upper gallery inside, and much remains to be done on the exterior.
So, whether you visited Notre Dame before the fire or it will be your first time, if you are in Paris, you definitely have to see the restored version of Notre Dame. You can even take a private tour with me.
Photos: Jacques Julien