The new copper tap was today lifted with a crane to the top of the tower of the architectural icon Notre-Dame, which was destroyed by fire in 2019. The return of the rooster is considered a significant milestone in the renovation of the church in the heart of Paris. According to the plan, the work should be completed within the next twelve months.
Portal/Christian Hartmann
During the fire on April 15, 2019, the old rooster fell from the roof along with the wooden spike it was attached to. The day after the fire, it was found among the rubble, crushed but intact. The original will be displayed in a new Notre Dame museum.
APA/AFP/Gaspard Flamand
The new copper weather vane was blessed in a ceremony by the Archbishop of Paris, Archbishop Laurent Ulrich. Inside there are religious relics and a scroll with a long list of names of workers, as well as donors and patrons. “It’s a phoenix,” said Philippe Villeneuve, the leading historical architect who designed the flame-shaped rooster. He shows “that the flame is taken to the highest point of the cathedral (…). The fire is taken there, but it is a fire of resurrection”.
Notre Dame is scheduled to reopen for services and the public on December 8, 2024.