PARIS (AP) — The retreat of the scaffolding melted by the Notre Dame Cathedral fire will take place “in the coming weeks” to allow restoration work to begin next year, French Culture Minister said on Tuesday.It has been six months since the April 15 fire that swept through the medieval structure, which was being renovated at the time and covered in scaffolding where the needle used to rise.
Engineers were trying to determine whether removing scaffolding would aggravate structural damage caused by fire. Minister Franck Riester said it will be several months before reconstruction can begin, as the robustness of the structure must be assessed.” Our Notre Dame de Paris has not been totally saved yet,” Riester told the press. President Emmanuel Macron promised in April that the revered monument would be restored in five years, but some detractors say the deadline is overly ambitious. The Minister of Culture did not mention deadlines. He said Tuesday that quality is prioritized over speed, although the five-year period represents the state’s “mobilizing ambition.” For us, the big priority is to perform a quality restoration that captures the height of what our history represents for our country, for Paris, for the Catholic religion, for Notre Dame,” Riester said.The government has not chosen a particular method reconstruction. Riester promised consultations and discussions. As head of state, Macron has the final say because the cathedral belongs to the government.
“We are determined to do things in a totally transparent manner,” Riester said.
A budget has not yet been resolved. Some 350,000 donors have given up or pledged a total of 922 million euros ($1.02 billion), the minister said. The Notre Dame Foundation has received 104 million euros ($114 million) to date.
