Cathedral clergy also celebrated certain “miracles” – miraculous survivors.
These include the choir’s 14th-century statue, known as Our Lady of the Pillar, which narrowly avoided being crushed by a falling brick.
The 16 giant copper statues that surrounded the spire were removed just four days before the fire.
The next day, after examining the disaster, Macron made a promise that seemed hasty to many at the time. The plan was to reopen Notre Dame Cathedral to visitors within five years.
A public body to manage the work was created by law, and requests for funds prompted an immediate response. In total, €846 million was raised, much of it from large donors as well as hundreds of thousands of smaller donors.
Responsibility for this task was given to Jean-Louis Georgelin, a naive army general who shared Macron’s impatience with commissions and “heritage” institutions.
“They’re used to handling frigates. This is an aircraft carrier,” he said.
Georgelin was universally credited for the project’s undoubted success, but he died in an accident in the Pyrenees in August 2023 and was replaced by Philippe Jost.
About 2,000 masons, carpenters, restorers, roofers, foundries, art experts, sculptors and engineers worked on the project, giving a major boost to French arts and crafts.
The promotion of many trades, such as stone carving, has led to a significant increase in apprenticeships.
“(The Notre Dame project) was on par with the World’s Fairs in the way it showcased our craftsmanship. It’s a great shop window internationally,” said Pascal Payen-Appenzeller, whose association promotes traditional building techniques. .
The first task of the project was to make the site safe and then dismantle the massive metal scaffolding that had previously surrounded the spire but had melted and fused with the masonry in the fire.
