The Government and the Church of France agreed to launch a major effort to recover the temple within an initial period of five years, something that became a matter of national pride. A campaign received nearly 800 million euros from hundreds of thousands of donors from 150 countries, while a public body was created to organize, coordinate and execute the works.
Stone sculptors, wood, copper and lead workers and bell experts have been recovering or recreating different damaged or destroyed elements, such as some sculptures, although the temple’s most valuable statues and carved ornaments emerged unscathed.
The forest of wooden beams that supported the roof, the lead roofs and the wooden spire also lined with lead, built in the 19th century during the restoration by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, have also been recreated.
More dust raised the president’s idea Emmanuel Macron and his Government to build a contemporary style needle and change the 19th century display cases for others of current design. The proposal for the modern spire was scrapped, but the new stained glass windows continue.
The new copper rooster was placed 96 meters high, and inside it were installed some Christian relics and a scroll with the names of almost 2,000 people who worked on the reconstruction of the spire.
The rooster is 90 centimeters high and its wings are shaped like flames, a way to show that Notre Dame is a new phoenix rising from the ashes.
The work in recent months has focused on important but smaller issues, such as painting, furniture installation or material removal.
Notre Dame will not say goodbye to the scaffolding, which will continue for another three years on its eastern side, in the apse, to complete renovation works on its walls that should have been done a long time ago.
