Meet The Unique Workers Restoring Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral

I felt hot and thirsty waiting in line to show my Pass Sanitaire(proof of vaccination QR code) to get inside the open-air exhibition.

It was Journées de Patrimoine(Heritage Days) and there were presentations of the various workers who are involved in the herculean renovation of this magnificent cathedral, whose sight against the cerulean blue sky always takes my breath away.

The workers restoring Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral aren’t just any run-of-mill construction workers but specially trained artisanal experts in the restoration of ancient and historic edifices.

It was fascinating to see the various workers, architects, and scientific researchers pointing out their scope of work.  As there were crowding around them, I kept my mask on, despite the vaccination check.

Notre Dame de Paris is finally able to begin the meticulous restoration process! It has taken over two years after the devastating fire to just secure the basic infrastructure of the cathedral.

That was necessary to ensure that the Cathedrale would not collapse as the thick stone walls had been fragilized from the vast amount of water used to extinguish the fire.

The fire destroyed the majority of the roof, including toppling the prominent tall steeple that had graced the Paris skyline for 850 years.

Along with the instability of walls and only a small portion of the roof left intact; any shifting of weights could have easily caused a collapse of the cathedral.

Of major concern too was that the scaffolding that was already in place to renovate the steeple was reduced down to a mangled jungle of melted metal bars, some glued to the structure.

Scaffolding workers for historical monuments are specially trained in setting up scaffolding that does not cause any weight on the existing structure.  The chiefs are in charge of designing appropriate scaffolds necessary to support extremely heavy stones before being set in place

Removing the existing melted tangled mess was a dangerous game akin to pick up sticks, where any wrong move could have contributed to caving in of the walls.  This delicate removal was only recently completed to the tune of 165 million Euros.

I had never heard of Cordists, who were demonstrating the art of tying knots used to harness them on long ropes, seen bobbing up and down in front of us.

They work inside of the cathedral too, reaching tiny spaces high above to carry materials and accomplish tasks where others can’t reach.

I was amused to see a Catholic sister being most intrigued in knot tying, perhaps invoking fantasies of flying from the rafters of her convent or taking up Alpinism!

The cordists were carefully hauling visitors down a demo wall, teaching them to jump and descend.  It looked like fun, but I opted out having no one to record the momentous moment for me.

With the exception of the scientists, these incredible various workers are highly skilled in using materials and techniques that for the most part have been all forgotten except in a few countries of the world.  As rare as a needle in a haystack you might say.

How many little kids today would you even think of saying that they want to be a stonecutter, a medieval carpenter, or a restorer of ancient sculptures using the ancient tools of the craft?

Thankfully here in France, there has always been an appreciation for these rare individuals who must have extensive training for years before they are qualified to be hired professionally.

After completing basic diplomas in high schools specializing in these certain trades, they are sent around France for over two years refining their skills in an artisanal trades guild called the Compagnon de Devoir.

I wrote about the Compagnons de Devoir in a post about a high school in Paris that specializes in the restoration of historic buildings.

Students I met were enthused about developing these uniques skills that will continue to perpetuate knowledge of medieval art and construction methods.

During the construction of Notre Dame having begun in 1163,  building guilds were very powerful and influential in society.  Tradesmen involved were well respected and applauded.

The majority were woven with a spiritual backbone where workers saw their work in constructing the many cathedrals of France and in Europe as a faith-filled mission to the glory of God.

There was a great debate about reconstructing the roof of Notre Dame with wood again, or lead with some proposing that lighter modern materials would be fireproof.

Then there were arguments regarding the steeple being remodeled exactly as it was or a newer one reflecting modernity.

Happily, it was finally decided to restore Notre Dame looking exactly as she was and using the same elemental materials that were used almost a thousand years ago, with the possible exception of lead still in debate.

This was because when the roof and steeple collapsed, 300 tons of melted lead dripped down, some as lead dust that initially polluted the air and surroundings.

In March of this year, the cutting of 1000 super tall old oaks began and were donated from various forests in France began.

They will need to be seasoned up to 18 months to ensure a moisture content of not more than 30 percent.

They will then be cut into various lengths before the medieval carpenters will begin the reweave the roof of Notre Dame, with arches such as seen below which was affectionally called “the forest”.

These huge pieces of logs will be cut and woven together using the same medieval techniques that they were constructed with originally.

These ancient techniques have already stood the test of time, having remained durable and strong for over 850 years till ravaged by the fire.

Artisanal stone cutters will be in charge of cutting to precise measurements limestone stone to replace those damaged during the fire.

Geoscience researchers determined through analysis that the original stones were taken from the Parisian subsoil.  These stones were formed during the Letetian age 41 to 48 million years ago!

Fortunately, there are still quarries just north of Paris that can supply the pale cream limestone from this particular stratotype.

Artists at core, stone cutters require much patience with an acuity of spatial geometry and precision. High schools here train these artists or by studies with the Compagnons de Devoir.

The restorer of sculptures is specially trained in repairing or providing replicas for historical buildings.

Same for artists, who must also take painstaking procedures to save frescos and paintings damaged by soot, age or water.

It was miraculous that the organ survived intact, but the console, keyboards, and petals along with 8,000 pipes have been sent out to various organ restorers for cleaning as they were coated with lead dust and soot.

France has a national school for organ builders and restorers in Alsace, who are in charge of the reassembly of the organ on site.

Harmonizing the sound is expected to take 6 months before it can resonate once again as before with the unforgettable and astounding deep cords that vibrate through the cathedral, sending shivers up my spine.

The most surprising was to discover the several research scientists involved in the renovation.  They were all from the Ministry of Culture Historic Monuments Research Laboratories.

The 9 groups of researchers have been busy in triaging, inventory, dating, and molecular analysis of the fallen debris such as wood, stone, metal, glass, and art.

Some will be responsible for recreating the same acoustics that the cathedrals had before.

I was pleased to learn that an ethnologist was also gathering research on the emotional impact of the catastrophic fire from both residents and tourists.

Notre Dame has always been a hallmark symbol of the city of Paris to all.  Regardless of faith or lack of, it has drawn many for 850 years to bear witness to her greatness.

More than just a beautiful gothic cathedral, Notre Dame occupies a sacred space and her ancient stones exude an undefinable spiritual presence.

Hopefully, if all goes as planned, the first Mass will be said on April 15, 2024.

PS:  Take a look at this very informative video showing the precise work of these incredibly gifted workers!