Wrinkly Bits
A Blog by Gail Cushman and Cowboy Bob
Originally posted 9/2/25
One of the main reasons we wanted to come to Paris this year was to see Notre Dame, after its rebuild from the fire six years ago. I recall watching it on TV as it burned and couldn’t imagine that they would be able to restore it. When we visited Paris two years ago, ladders and scaffolds with workmen were everywhere. The roof was made of lead and had collapsed in the fire, making a royal mess of the sanctuary. The church installed large placards with the story of its renovation, but no one could go into the church. Every inch of the church has been repaired, cleaned, and made whole again. Originally, 1500 oak beams supported the roof but, of course, these burned, and the renovation team found another 1500 oak trees to replace them. The flying buttresses or external supports also needed temporary massive oak beams to support the buttresses while the roof with 500 tons of lead was replaced.
Specialists cleaned paintings and sculptures with small paintbrushes, an inch at a time. The stained glass was unharmed, but they cleaned the centuries-old pieces and the light flowing into the church now brings light and life to those who are visitors or worshipers.
While there are still scaffolds and ladders and workmen on the outside, the beautiful church is available to be entered and viewed, and what a sight it is. It is a work of art, as well as a place of worship, and it was filled Tuesday evening with people doing both, worshiping and admiring it as a work of art and part of the Catholic Church culture.
The white limestone gleams after painstaking cleaning of centuries of dirt, smoke and pollution. The day we went inside, the columns and intricate structures came to life with the light from the stained glass as the sun shone from the west and the delicate colors bathed the opposite wall with an iridescent collage of blue and pink hues. No matter what one thinks of churches and architecture, this is a stunning example of art, started in 1163, taking 200 years to build. What a historical and cultural treasure Notre Dame is. This restoration cost over 900 million dollars from private donations from all over the world, much coming from the USA. A lot of money, yes, but some things are worth saving and this is one of them. My human spirit is filled with wonder and peace in the presence of such beauty. A job well done, France, and all who gave of their time or talents.
