A charity has said workers in Paris will begin the painstaking task of removing scaffolding from the Notre-Dame cathedral in the coming weeks after a devastating fire in April.
The 850-year-old church and spire were covered in scaffolding when it came crashing down during the huge blaze on April 15. The cathedral’s roof was also destroyed in the inferno, although the vast majority of artifacts and valuable items inside were saved.
After the fire that stunned a nation, French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to complete a painstaking renovation of the gothic Paris landmark within five years. But according to the Notre-Dame Foundation charity, that cannot begin until essential work takes place to secure the structure.
Charity head Christophe-Charles Rousselot told the french press, “One of the most complex aspects of the work at the moment is removing the scaffolding, which includes 50,000 tubes which reached over 800 degrees Celcius (1472 degrees Fahrenheit)” during the fire.
It has been suggested that another large scaffold structure will be erected, as well as cranes installed, in order to start cutting down the damaged scaffold in very “delicate conditions.”
The dismantling of the scaffolding is expected to take four months.
Wealthy donors have handed over millions of euros to restore the church, including Altrad group’s president Mohed Altrad. The billionaire businessman publicly pledged to materially support the reconstruction of Notre-Dame soon after the fire.
