Golden on the outside, filled with relics: Notre Dame has received a new golden rooster. It crowns the spire of the world-famous cathedral in Paris, which fell from the roof in the fire.
Notre Dame Cathedral has received a new golden rooster: Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich blessed the figure on Saturday before it was placed in its place on the 96-meter-high spire. The church building was badly damaged in a fire in 2019.
Architect Philippe Villeneuve’s new faucet replaces the original, which was too badly damaged in the fire to be reused. Villeneuve is one of the lead architects of the reconstruction. He called the new rooster’s “wings of fire” a reminder that “the cathedral can be reborn from the ashes, like a phoenix.” The old rooster is to be exhibited in a new Notre Dame museum.
Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich blessed the new golden rooster before it was placed in its place on the 96 meter high spire.
Return of the light
In Christian belief, the rooster symbolizes the return of light after the darkness of the night. It is also a national symbol of France and can be found, among other things, on the jerseys of the French national football and rugby teams.
The new rooster contains relics saved after the fire on April 15, 2019, as well as a sealed document with the names of the nearly 2,000 people who helped rebuild Notre Dame.
The cause of the fire remains unclear
The cause of the fire at that time has not yet been clarified. The investigators assume an accident, such as a short circuit. The pointed tower, which now had a tap again, fell from the roof burning in the fire. Around 840 million euros in donations were received from all over the world for the renovation of the famous cathedral. Before the fire, an average of twelve million people visited the cathedral each year.
Immediately after the fire, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that Notre Dame should be rebuilt within five years. The reopening is scheduled for December 8, 2024.