Crypt reopens, honors 2 figures key to Notre Dame Cathedral
- Associated Press
- Sep 9, 2020
One year ago a fire nearly led to the collapse of Notre Dame’s cathedral.
The French army general in charge of rebuilding fire-ravaged Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris says renovation work will begin in earnest later this year.
Gen. Jean-Louis Georgelin who is overseeing the reconstruction of the fire-devastated Notre Dame Cathedral told French broadcaster CNews on Sunday that “the cathedral is still in a state of peril” after last year’s fire, which destroyed its roof and collapsed its spire as the cathedral was undergoing renovations.
The rector of Notre Dame Cathedral says the Paris landmark is still so fragile that there’s a “50% chance” the structure might not be saved, because scaffolding installed before this year’s fire is threatening the vaults of the Gothic monument.
Oil company Total says it has signed an agreement to pay $111 million toward the reconstruction of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris that it pledged shortly after April’s devastating fire.
Scientists at the French government’s Historical Monuments Research Laboratory are working out how to safely restore Notre Dame Cathedral and identify what perils remain inside the monument in a race against the clock.