France’s Notre Dame cathedral secured at last, to be rebuild

Paris, Sept. 19 (BUS): France’s Notre Dame cathedral is now stable and safe enough for artisans to begin rebuilding, more than two years after a horrific fire destroyed its roof, slashed its spire and threatened to bring in the rest. From the medieval monument below, too.

The government agency overseeing reconstruction announced in a statement on Saturday that the work to secure the structure – which began the day after the April 15, 2019 fire – had finally been completed.

Carpenters, scaffolders, professional climbers, organ mechanics, and others participated in the effort, which included special temporary structures to secure the famous towers, vaults, and walls of the massive, roofless structure, and a special “canopy” to protect it from the weather.

The statement said that negotiations will now begin with companies submitting bids to participate in the massive reconstruction effort. It will include about 100 different tenders for various projects. Work on restoring the organ will begin in the fall, and further work is expected to begin in the winter, according to the Associated Press (AP).

The agency maintains President Emmanuel Macron’s goal of allowing visitors to return indoors in 2024, the year Paris hosts the Olympics.

It was announced over the weekend that France and countries across Europe celebrate Heritage Days, when historic monuments, government buildings and other sites are open to the public.

HF