France's Notre Dame Cathedral is finally stable and secure enough for artisans to start rebuilding it, more than two years after the shocking fire that tore through its roof, knocked down its spire and threatened to bring the rest of the medieval monument down, too.
Paris: Notre-Dame now stable enough for rebuilding
Pinnacle of Notre-Dame cathedral consolidated with construction crane in background.
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Copyright © africanews
AFP
The government agency overseeing the reconstruction announced in a statement on Saturday that the works to secure the structure - which began the day after the April 15, 2019 fire - are at last complete.
Carpenters, scaffolding experts, professional climbers, organ mechanics and legions of others took part in the effort, which included special temporary structures to secure the cathedral's iconic towers, vaults and walls of the huge roofless structure, and a special "umbrella" to protect it from the weather.
Negotiations will now begin with companies bidding to take part in the mammoth reconstruction effort, the statement said.
It will include some 100 different tenders for the various projects involved.
Work to restore the organ will begin in the fall, with other works expected to begin in the winter.
The agency is maintaining President Emmanuel Macron's goal of allowing visitors back inside in 2024, the year when Paris hosts the Olympics.
The announcement was made on a weekend when countries across Europe celebrate Heritage Days, when historical landmarks, government buildings and other sites are opened to the public.