Nearly $1 billion in donations have poured in for the vast restoration of the fire-ravaged Notre Dame cathedral.
Nearly $1 billion in donations have poured in for the vast restoration of the fire-ravaged Notre Dame cathedral — but a pledge by French President Emmanuel Macron that it will be completed within five years was facing accusations of being wildly off track.
Macron said the renovations to restore iconic 19th century spire, vaulting and two-thirds of the cathedral’s roof would be completed in time for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
„We will rebuild the cathedral to be even more beautiful and I want it to be finished within five years,“ Macron said.
Experts have said, however, that the ambitious timeline appears insufficient for such a massive operation. Even French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe — while supporting the government timeline — acknowledged in an address Wednesday that it would be difficult.
„This is obviously an immense challenge, a historic responsibility,“ Philippe said.
Prominent French conservation architect Pierluigi Pericolo told Inrocks magazine it could take triple that time.
„No less than 15 years… it’s a colossal task,“ Pericolo said.
Pericolo worked on the restoration of the 19th century Saint-Donatien basilica, which was badly damaged by fire in 2015 in the French city of Nantes. He said it could take between „two to five years“ just to check the stability of the massive cathedral that dominates the Paris skyline.
„It’s a fundamental step, and very complex, because it’s difficult to send workers into a monument whose vaulted ceilings are swollen with water,“ Pericolo told France-Info. „The end of the fire doesn’t mean the edifice is totally saved. The stone can deteriorate when it is exposed to high temperatures and change its mineral composition and fracture inside.“
The comments came as Notre Dame’s rector said he would close the once-functioning cathedral for up „five to six years,“ acknowledging that „a segment“ of the near 900-year-old edifice may be gravely weakened.
Nearly $1 billion has already poured in from ordinary worshippers and high-powered magnates around the world to restore the fire-ravaged Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, after the French president set a controversial five-year deadline to get the work done.
