France on hunt for centuries-old oaks to rebuild spire
of Notre Dame
Restoring 96-metre spire, destroyed by fire in 2019,
will require up to 1,000 trees between 150 and 200 years old
Carpenters
put the skills of their Medieval colleagues on show on the plaza in front of
Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020. Last July,
Macron announced the spire would be reconstructed exactly as it was.
Kim Willsher
in Paris
Tue 16 Feb
2021 11.20 GMT
French
experts are combing the country’s forests for centuries-old oaks to rebuild the
Notre Dame spire that was destroyed by fire.
The
ferocious blaze in April 2019 brought the cathedral’s 96-metre (315ft) lead and
wood spire, a landmark of the Paris skyline, crashing on to the stone
roof-vaults.
Immediately
afterwards, Emmanuel Macron said the 850-year-old cathedral would be rebuilt by
2024, but there were questions over whether the spire, added in 1859 by the
architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, would be reproduced with a “contemporary
gesture” as the president had hinted.
Last July,
Macron announced the spire would be reconstructed exactly as it was. This is
expected to require up to 1,000 oaks aged between 150 and 200 years old. The
trees must be straight, 50-90cm (20-36in) in diameter and between 8 and 14
metres tall. They must be chopped down by the end of March before the sap
rises, otherwise the wood will be too humid. Before being cut into beams, the
trunks will be allowed to dry for up to 18 months.
Dominique
de Villebonne, the deputy director of the National Forests Office (ONF) told Le
Parisien: “This is about ancient forestry heritage, not 20-year-old trees, but
those that are very old, including plantations ordered by former kings to build
ships and ensure the grandeur of the French fleet.”
She added:
“At the same time as leaving other trees to stand for a long time, we are also
planting new ones so future generations can create their own exceptional
works.”
A number of
private forest owners have offered to donate trees to the reconstruction
project. “It will be a matter of pride if some of our trees are used for Notre
Dame,” said Jean-Paul Mével, who owns a 250-hectare (620-acre) forest in
Brittany. “It also shows how our forests are well maintained and are an asset
for the country.”
Philippe
Gourmain, of the forestry professionals group France Bois Forêt, who is
coordinating the search for suitable oaks, said: “We will be using a little of
France’s history to remake this historic wooden structure.”
Work to
restore the cathedral is not expected to begin until the beginning of 2022.
Carpentry experts say rebuilding Notre Dame as it was will take 2,000 cubic
metres of wood, requiring about 1,500 oaks to be cut down. The cathedral’s roof
contained so many wooden beams it was called la forêt (the forest). The roof’s
support included 25 triangular structures 10 metres high and 14 metres across
at the base, placed over the stone vaults of the nave.
Since 2019,
work has concentrated on stabilising the structure and removing the scaffolding
around the spire – which was undergoing renovation at the time of the fire –
that collapsed and fused on to the stone structure below.
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