Why the restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral is under threat: Coronavirus, marauders, etc

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

At the end of March, thieves climbed into Notre Dame Cathedral, which has not been rebuilt after last year's fire. And no wonder: at a time when the inhabitants of the French capital are sitting in their houses on self-isolation and the streets are practically empty, the likelihood of looting is very high. We can safely assume that in the current situation, attempts to penetrate into the historic building by strangers will continue. Moreover, this is not the only problem of Notre Dame Cathedral, which worries clergy and historians.

Stones for sale

First, about the March theft. The alleged thieves were spotted by the guards, who immediately called the police. The law enforcers who arrived at the scene found two men hiding under a tarp, both of which were clearly under the influence of alcohol. Several small stones were found at the intruders, which they took from the place of the ruins (during the fire, the blocks fell into the building).

André Pinault, a spokesman for Notre Dame, said that the cathedral has always been a tidbit for such people and that there is indeed a black market for items “from the cathedral”. Internet sites (such as EBay) display stones whose sellers claim to be from Notre Dame, although these items are definitely fakes.

Investigators believe that the thieves caught in the cathedral in March were going to remove several stone fragments from the building with the aim of selling them later on the black market.

Recall that the strongest fire in Notre Dame Cathedral, which was visited by 14 million people annually, happened in April 2019. The fire occurred on the scaffolding erected over the roof of the cathedral in connection with the restoration.

The restoration of the cathedral is hampered by the coronavirus

Serious repairs went on in Notre Dame Cathedral for almost a year - the building began to be restored immediately after the devastating fire. However, in mid-March, work stopped - they were interrupted after the French government began to take measures to slow the spread of covid-19. At the time of the suspension of the repair work, the construction team was preparing to start dismantling about 250 tons of scaffolding previously installed on the structure. The removal of these structures was a key step in the rebuilding of the cathedral, as it is necessary to make the site safe for the work to proceed. At the end of last year, the rector of the cathedral, Monsignor Patrick Chauvet, told the Associated Press that he was not sure that the entire structure of the building would be preserved. In his opinion, the scaffolding threatens the vaults of the cathedral, and there is a 50 percent chance that these scaffolds will fall. However, he noted that the building is still very fragile.

Before starting to clear the scaffolding, experts expressed fears that their dismantling could lead to further damage to an already fragile building, so a plan was developed that provides for the support of the walls from the outside with metal beams and the use of special cranes on the site. Now the implementation of this idea is illusory.

Lead is dangerous for workers

Another problem encountered in the restoration of Notre Dame de Paris is lead pollution. And this poses a serious danger to people (first of all - for builders carrying out repair work). There are over 200 tons of unaccounted for toxic lead on the roof and spire of the cathedral. Part of it is believed to have been atomized, dispersing dangerous particles into the air. But even more of the lead could contaminate the Seine.

Let us recall that lead was contained in the supporting structure of the cathedral and in the spire that collapsed during the fire. A year ago, residents of Paris were warned that lead was found on the streets of the city, as well as in those rooms whose windows were open during the fire. Lead fallout was recorded in several districts of the French capital at once.

According to the rules in force today, anyone entering the cathedral must undress and put on paper underwear and a protective suit, as well as a protective mask. Workers can only be on site for two and a half hours, after which they must shower and put on new protective clothing. This is the only way to protect yourself from toxic lead.

The inability to ensure the safety of workers in the current conditions raised the question of an indefinite suspension of the continuation of work on the restoration of the cathedral.

Disappointing forecast

There are no more workers at the facility, giving would-be looters the opportunity to try to steal and sell priceless pieces of Parisian history.

In addition, parts of the building remain so unstable that this year - for the first and only time since the French Revolution - Christmas Mass could not take place inside the cathedral. Instead, it was served in a church near the Louvre.

French President Emmanuel Macron has said he hopes to open the cathedral in time for the Olympic Games, which Paris will host in 2024. Church representatives would also like this, but, alas, not all of them are optimistic.

Continuing the topic: Little known facts about Notre Dame de Paris.