For the last week, we have been celebrating Notre Dame de Paris. We are finally closer to the reopening than the fire, and we are all thrilled. On Instagram, Facebook, and last weekend’s live video I have shared the many stories of the cathedral from the people that made her what she is today to the treasures that will return once it has opened its doors.
In the Trocadero a museum few people make it to where you can find a fantastic evolving exhibition that explores Notre Dame from the Builders to the Restoration. The
The Palais du Trocadero holds two museums, including one of my favorites the Cité de l’Architecture and the Musée de l’Homme. Each is rarely visited and holds amazing views of the Eiffel Tower. The Architecture Museum was created by Alexandre Lenoir who saved many of the monuments and tombs from destruction during the Revolution. Originally housed in the Ecole des Beaux-Arts it was another major figure in French architectural history that made the museum come to fruition. Eugene Viollet-le-Duc the master behind the renovation of Notre Dame not only created it but much of the inside is dedicated to the work he did and on Notre Dame itself.
The first pieces of Notre Dame were added in September 2019 when two of the former statues were put on display before they were restored. Of course, after that, we ran into a bit of a pandemic and the museum was closed for a bit but when it reopened in 2021 a wonderful addition was added. All 16 statues that once lined the roof including St Thomas as Viollet-le-Duc with his head turned and looking up at his spire.
As the restoration progresses so does the exhibit at the Cité de l’Architecture. At the start, it’s hard not to be reminded of that tragic day but also how lucky we were to still have the Cathedral standing. A large image that falls from the sky is a birdseye view into the cathedral the morning after the fire. Charged timber stacks in the center of the transept and in the back the pieta and golden cross shine as the witness to that unbelievable night.
As you walk through survivors of that night are on display. The burned reminders were one of the 13th forest that was the equivalent of 52 acres of trees and stones that fell from the ceiling onto the marble floor. Each one of those stones will be reused in the rebuilding if they are structurally sound. Surrounding the area are video monitors with interviews with Philippe Villeneuve, architect to Notre Dame since 2013, and other officials involved in bringing her back to life.
For the armchair engineer or architect, there are scientific specifics of the cathedral and how they are using technology today to advance the techniques that were used in the 12th and 19th centuries. Digital Date groups analyzed the entire structure for exact plans. Stone masons and engineers are using the fallen stones to locate each stone's makeup and where they can find the closest exact copy. Stained Glass technicians are able to use special cameras to look into the health of the glass including the two 13th-century rose windows.
Going back to the 19th-century restoration of Viollet-le-Duc and Lassous the drawings from the two architects hands as well as Adolphe-Victor Geoffroy-Dechaume Culvre's drawings of the rooster and many of the statues
The roof was known as the “forest” as it was made up of over 1300 trees, the equivalent of 52 acres. All of them were lost in the fire and within a few weeks 273 donations rolled in for more than enough timber coming from around France. Half of the donations came from private land and the other half from public forests. A team of devoted lumberjacks that know their land well we’re able to quickly find the perfect trees. They needed to be 4 feet wide and at least 88 feet high. Harvesting began within a year with the first tree cut on March 5, 2020, by Daniel Pichon of Pichon Freres.
On display is a fascinating example of each of the steps from a fallen tree to a shaped beam that will once again hold up the lead-covered roof. 1000 more are needed just for the spire that is being rebuilt to the exact specific plans of Viollet-le-Duc. There are drawing and the original 1860 model on hand for you to get an idea of just how many trees are used for the spire to rise from the roof once again.
Getting an in-depth and close-up look at this amazing adventure is something that you must see. Take the time to read each and every plaque and watch the videos featuring the skilled men and women bringing the world’s Notre Dame de Paris back to life.
The Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine is open Wednesday thru Monday 11 am - 7 pm and on Thursdays until 9 pm. Tickets are 9€ and the exhibit runs until April 29, 2024.
If you are coming to Paris reach out for a special Notre Dame tour with me sharing all these details and so much more and visiting the four special exhibits this year and next in Paris,