Philippe Villeneuve

The most dangerous part was dismantling the melted scaffolding in the transect.

The scaffolding was there for restoration work before the fire.

The scaffolder and the rope technicians made their way through the twisted metal.

They had to dismantle the steel monster that could collapse.

After days and nights of hard and dangerous work, they succeeded.

Once the cathedral was stabilized, the work to rebuild it could finally start.

The Germanic men followed in the footsteps of the builders of the Middle Ages.

They had the same spirit, the same dexterity and the same materials.

The stained-glass windows and the decorations become lively again.

The walls and the vaults start to show the clear golden hue of the stone again.

Then an army of carpenters works on the new framework.

They use the same materials, the same tools and the same gestures of old.

The spire

was erect again, and a new golden rooster was placed on top of it to protect the cathedral.

The inside of the cathedral was like it had been under Viollet-le-Duc.

Bright and a soft yellow.

The stained-glass windows and the chapel were vivid again.

The chandeliers were shining again.

The sculpture had tried to place again.

We had to drive a COVID pandemic, deal with pollution by lead, face bad weather, including heat waves, working under very trying conditions.