France hunts for century-old oak trees to rebuild spire of Notre-Dame

The spire and part of the roof crashed into the nave during the blaze in April 2019

Credit: AP Photo/Thierry Mallet

French forest experts are searching for a thousand trees older than 100 years to rebuild the spire of the Notre-Dame cathedral that was destroyed in a huge blaze in 2019.

A thousand trees will be cut down by the end of March to replicate the exact spire designed by architect Eugene Viollet-le-Duc, which was incinerated along with a large chunk of the roof when the Paris landmark went up in flames in April 2019.

"For now we are in the phase of selecting the trees according to the frame that will be needed for the spire. We will choose trees in the forest according to their dimensions: height, diameter, quality," François Hauet, a forestry expert in Louviers and vice-president of the Normande association of Forest Experts, told France Inter.

The rangers have specific criteria: the trees must be straight, have a diameter of 50 to 90 cm and must be 8 to 14 metres tall. Only trees that are at least 100, if not 200, years old, can boast such measurements.

Mr Macron wants Notre-Dame restored to its former glory by 2024, in time for the Paris Olympics.

After the fire, he suggested the 96-metre (315-foot) spire could be replaced since it was not a part of the original cathedral. That prompted much public debate but the president eventually said the spire would be reconstructed exactly as it was.

For the deadline to be met, oak trees need to be cut by March of this year in order to let them dry for the necessary 12 to 18 months and to avoid excess sap and humidity in the trunks by spring.

Reconstruction work has been delayed due to bad weather, concerns over lead pollution and most recently the coronavirus pandemic.

Firemen narrowly managed to save the 19th century Gothic cathedral as images of near-destruction sent shockwaves through France and the wider world.