According to the "European Times" reported on the 18th, in order to restore the iconic spire of Notre Dame Cathedral, French experts are currently searching for oak trees that have grown for hundreds of years in the forest.
A fire in April 2019 reportedly destroyed part of Notre Dame Cathedral's building, collapsing the 96-meter-high Gothic spire, a landmark of the Paris skyline.
On September 19, 2020, local time, in Paris, France, as part of the 37th European Heritage Day, carpenters demonstrated medieval techniques for repairing the burned wooden structure of Notre Dame in front of Notre Dame Cathedral. Image source: Visual China
After the fire, French President Emmanuel Macron has repeatedly said that he will rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral, and French billionaires have also said that they will donate huge sums of money to support the reconstruction. However, the most scarce thing in the restoration work is wood.
Restorations would require up to 1,000 oak trees between the ages of 150 and 200. The trees must grow straight, between 50 and 90 centimeters in diameter and 8 to 14 meters high. Not only that, but the trees must be cut down by the end of March, or the sap secreted by the oak trees will make the wood too wet. Before it can be cut into beams, the trunk has to dry for 18 months.
Dominique de Verbond, deputy director of france's national forest office, said in an interview with Le Parisien that "this matter is about France's ancient forestry heritage, and what is needed for restoration is not young trees of 20 years old, but those very old trees, including those planted by the previous king's order to build ships and to provide security for the French fleet." ”
De Verbon added: "At the same time, we are also planting new trees so that these descendants can create their own value at some point in the future." ”
On November 24, 2020 local time, the removal of the scaffolding of Notre Dame Cathedral was completed, and the removal of scaffolding was an important part of the restoration work after the Notre Dame fire.
In addition, some owners of private forests have expressed a willingness to donate trees for reconstruction projects. Jean-Paul Meffer owns a 250-hectare forest in Brittany. He said, "What a proud thing it would be if our tree could be used to restore Notre Dame." ”
On April 15, 2019, Notre Dame Cathedral was hit by a fire, and the entire building was severely damaged, most of the top was burned down, and the spire collapsed in the fire. Reconstruction has been repeatedly delayed due to COVID-19, weather and lead pollution issues. In July 2020, French Minister of Culture Bassello announced that the reconstruction of Notre Dame Cathedral would begin as soon as January 2021.
Source: China News Network