Notre-Dame de Paris is a masterpiece of Gothic architecture and an iconic symbol of the French capital. The cathedral, built between the 12th and 14th centuries, is known for its superb rose windows, captivating gargoyles and grandiose spire. It was marked by various historical events such as the coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte as emperor and the beatification of Joan of Arc. The pharaonic construction of Notre-Dame de Paris took five years.
Notre-Dame is visited every year by many tourists and pilgrims, as it is an active place of worship and a world heritage site.
Reopening of Notre-Dame de Paris, absence of Pope Francis
The Pope has decided not to travel while the important event is broadcast around the world.
According to the president of the French bishops’ conference, Monsignor Éric de Moulins-Beaufort, «The star of the reopening of Notre-Dame de Paris is Notre-Dame de Paris and Pope Francis did not want to take the attention away from it on this occasion, the pope wanted to favor the true celebration of the Catholic Church.”
Pope Francis sent a message to the faithful, transmitted by the Archbishop of Paris, asking for the free and generous welcome of visitors to the renovated cathedral.
“Sadness and mourning give way today to joy, celebration and praise. It’s nice to keep and improve old skills. “It is even more beautiful that many artisans have experienced this restoration as a true spiritual adventure,” declared the Pope, who said he hoped for “a prophetic sign of the renewal of the Church in France.”
“Notre-Dame will soon be visited and admired by an immense crowd of people from all walks of life, origins, religions, languages and cultures, many in search of absolutes and meaning in their lives. I know that the doors will be wide open to them and that you will be committed to welcoming them generously and freely, like brothers and sisters,” added the Pope.
Craftsmen from all over the world worked on the renovation site
Workers engaged on the Notre-Dame de Paris construction sites played a major role in the restoration of the historic building after the 2019 fire. Their work helped preserve the architectural and historical integrity of the cathedral.
For five years, extensive restoration work was carried out, which required significant effort. The cathedral was renovated by two hundred and fifty companies, as well as more than 100 craftsmen, architects and specialists.
Carpenters Without Borders, a French organization made up of traditional carpenters who volunteer to restore unique constructions such as medieval bridges in Normandy or vernacular houses in China, participated in the Notre-Dame project.
American carpenter Will Gusakov
In Vermont, in the northeastern United States, Will Gusakov runs a wood framing company.
It was with a photo sent by a friend that Will Gusakov learned that Notre Dame was on fire. “I didn’t believe it,” he remembers. “How was this possible?” he asked himself at the time.
It took more than a thousand century-old oaks to build the nave and the choir, and eight hundred for the spire of Notre-Dame alone. Each beam was shaped by hand to give it the necessary rectangular shape. Will Gusakov said this was better than a dream that took a lot of work.
Will Gusakov was in charge of the group that designed the main trusses. The triangles carry the loads and support the roof. There are 11 in the roof of the nave. For carpenters, they are very sexy,” he jokes.
The reconstruction was all the more difficult because it essentially boiled down to a replica
of the setting as it had been until then, of each individual room, «we had to reproduce all the particularities», explains Will Gusakov.
The end result demonstrates the resistance to the test of time and the effectiveness of these centuries-old techniques and tools.
Hank Silver, Will Gusakov’s colleague, tells the New York Times that children who look at their iPad know that they can become stonemasons, traditional carpenters or masons.
