Nôtre-Dame de Paris: 1163-2019

"It’s been almost a year since a fire ravaged the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, and the work to rebuild has been delayed by the social distancing guidelines imposed during the coronavirus pandemic. Nevertheless, the city’s Archbishop held a small Good Friday service in one of the church’s less-damaged parts, offering a message of hope and renewal for a city and world gripped by anxiety.

The world has been “brought down and paralyzed by a pandemic that spreads death,” said Paris Archbishop Michel Aupetit. “As we are going to celebrate Easter, we will celebrate life which is stronger than death, love stronger than hate.”


Only seven people attended the service, including French actors Philippe Torreton and Judith Chemla and classical violinist Renaud Capuçon. In a sign of the times, all wore protective suits. Chemla ended the service with a lovely rendition of “Ave Maria” which sounds all the more appropriate for the strange silence and loneliness of the era."

Nat Geo has a special on tonight at 7:00 EST

The special was pretty cool, you really appreciate the amazing ingenuity and craftsmanship of all those centuries and legions of carpenters and stonemasons that were involved in the original construction.

The first link above led to this. Arson at the Nantes cathedral. Who would do such a thing?

Now they are on the hunt for approx 1,500 oak trees. 150-200 years old, 3' diameter and straight sections 25-40'. They want to chop them down prior to the end of March before sap rises and will have to dry 18 mths. These are all needed to rebuild the ceiling and spire.

"Carpentry experts say rebuilding Notre Dame as it was will take 2,000 cubic metres of wood, requiring about 1,500 oaks to be cut down. The cathedral’s roof contained so many wooden beams it was called la forêt (the forest). The roof’s support included 25 triangular structures 10 metres high and 14 metres across at the base, placed over the stone vaults of the nave."


edit: there have been numerous offers from private landowners that are willing to donate trees that have been on their family estates for generations.

NatGeo February issue has nice article about reconstruction

This is the Instagram account of the premier 250 year old French carpentry company that is rebuilding "The Forest" all with specially forged handmade tools correct to the original period. Lots of pictures of progress