Notre-Dame Cathedral Updates in 2023
CBS’s 60 Minutes recently broadcasted a comprehensive report on the ongoing restoration efforts, offering a rare look into the obstacles and achievements of this monumental endeavor.
In this CBS News feature, American television journalist and correspondent Bill Whitaker takes us through the captivating restoration project of Notre-Dame Cathedral. The report includes conversations with key individuals involved in the process, such as General Jean-Louis Georgelin, who serves as the French President’s special representative for the reconstruction, and Chief Architect Philippe Villeneuve. The report also showcases the innovative methods and technologies employed to revive the cathedral to its previous splendor.
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Notre-Dame Cathedral Updates in 2022
After the completion of the Safety Phase in 2021, 2022 marks an important step forward as we rebuild and restore Notre-Dame Cathedral.
Preliminary operations are already underway, like the major campaign to clean the interior of the cathedral. Over the next few months, the Établissement Public, the public agency in charge of managing the restoration, will issue calls for tender to source companies with expertise in the restoration of historical monuments to participate in the restoration. Outside of Notre-Dame Cathedral’s walls, the restoration of the Grand Organ and the cathedral’s works of art continues.
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View these exclusive Notre-Dame reconstruction photos
Key Reconstruction Projects Completed in 2021
Two projects are now complete that are key to the next phase of Notre-Dame Cathedral’s reconstruction.
On November 24, all of the burned scaffolding surrounding Notre-Dame de Paris was removed.
Now work can begin on the interior of the cathedral without the risk of the damaged scaffolding collapsing into the cathedral. Next, scaffolding will be built inside the cathedral to protect the vaults and provide support so they can undergo reconstruction. The scaffolding will help buttress the weight carried by the vaults, so construction can continue without risking the integrity of Notre-Dame Cathedral’s structure.
In early December, the Grand Organ was dismantled and removed, a project completed one month ahead of schedule. The Grand Organ’s pipes will now be taken for repair and extensive cleaning to remove lead dust that settled in the aftermath of the fire. The restoration work, organ reassembly and tuning are projected to finish by April 2024.
At the beginning of November, Michel Picaud, President of Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris went inside Notre-Dame Cathedral to take a look at the work that was underway.
Construction Resumes in 2020
On June 8, 2020 construction resumed on Notre-Dame Cathedral after a three-month pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The work is focused on continuing to remove the burned scaffolding that had surrounded the spire. In 2019, the spire was undergoing restoration and was destroyed during the fire on April 15. This cleanup effort should last until September but is subject to change as it is a delicate process to remove 30,000 tubes weighing 300 tons.
At the end of June, Michel Picaud, President of Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris was able to go inside Notre-Dame Cathedral for the first time in over a year.
Official Decision About the Spire
The study presented plans to respect the previously existing structure of the cathedral and to restore the monument to its last complete, coherent and known state.
CNPA unanimously approved the architects’ recommendations that Notre-Dame Cathedral be restored to its prior state. The French President Emmanuel Macron also shared his approval for this decision.