Saving Notre Dame: An Epic Endeavour - Part 1

We are currently living through a distressing period of history. And as April 15th approaches, I am reminded of another heart-wrenching episode that made the world stand still a year ago. I recall being glued to the TV that afternoon, unable to take my eyes off the flames engulfing the much loved cathedral of Paris. I remember too, the relief I felt when I awoke the next morning to see that the heroic efforts the firefighters had put into saving Notre Dame had paid off. Our Lady was still standing, although severely damaged.

Revisiting Our Lady

I was further relieved when I had the opportunity to revisit Notre Dame during my next trip to Paris last September. Visiting the cathedral was my first priority. So I made my way to see her on my second day back in the city. She first came into sight as I turned onto Place de l’Hôtel de Ville from Rue de Rivoli. The view of her made me stop in my tracks. For her once stately flèche – spire – stood no more. And signs of the effort already put in to saving Notre Dame were evident on her north wall.

I continued my approach, crossing le Pont d’Arcole to Place Jean-Paul II. Here barricades surrounding both the square and the cathedral slowed my approach. I stopped in the narrow passageway to get my first close-up view of Notre Dame. The sight of her well-known bell towers and the Gallery of Biblical Kings perched on her front façade were a welcome relief. Although the scale of what was now missing from this sacred structure was overwhelming. I felt the grief of this loss well up inside me. And the grey day matched my mood. After catching my breath, I proceeded along Rue de Cloître-Notre-Dame, taking in more fully the scope of the damage. As I proceeded though, a sense of hope began to replace my grief. For signs of the restorative efforts were clearly evident. And its magnitude was staggering.

The Rose Windows

Most notable from this vantage point were the protective measures that had been put in place to save the Rose Window on the north wall. The fact that both of the incredible 13th-century stained glass Rose Windows had survived the intense heat of the fire was miraculous. And I looked forward to the day when they would be restored to their former glory.

The Bells of Notre Dame

As I passed by the north transept, the memory of my visit to this same spot a year earlier returned. At that time, signs of the ongoing restoration work, as well as evidence of its need, were clearly visible. And the sight of several of the bells standing on the ground to accommodate this work had been most notable to me. Now however, the construction site engulfed the entire cathedral. Despite this, beneath the twisted wreckage of the spire scaffolding, the area did show signs of a return to ordinary life.

As I slipped behind the cathedral into Square Jean-XXIII, the scale of both the loss and the staggering restorative efforts already taken in saving Notre Dame overtook me once more. And again, I could not help but compare this sight to the one I had seen a year before. The difference was startling! Discover more of the Notre Dame treasures that were saved from the fire in my next post. In the meantime, experience Christmas in this great cathedral in my post Christmas Eve in Paris: Notre Dame.