The carving of the Madonna that was miraculously saved from the fire of the cathedral of Notre Dame returned to the church this Friday, more than five years later. This milestone marks the final stretch for the reopening on December 7.
The carving, an image of Mary with child, has returned to Notre Dame following a procession from the nearby church of Saint Germain l’Auxerrois.. It has been there since October 2019 while the work of debris removal and reconstruction of the cathedral lasted.
It is a stone carving from the mid-fourteenth century and known as the Notre Dame (Our Lady) of Paris or Virgin of the Pillar, since it was placed next to a column in the transept of the cathedral. The image, 1.80 meters high, came from a nearby chapel and was placed in the cathedral during the restoration that the architect Eugène Viollet-Le Duc directed between 1845 and 1864.
On the day of the fire, April 15, 2019, the debris from the vaults of the transept and the charred remains of the woodwork fell at the feet of the sculpture, but without damaging it. The image was evacuated a day later.
On its return, more than six and a half months later, the statue has not been in the procession due to its fragility.. In its place was used a copy of the original made of resin, as detailed by the Archbishopric of Paris. After its arrival at the gates of Notre Dame, the image was blessed by Archbishop Laurent Ulrich.
Around a thousand people attended the return of the image to the temple, known throughout the world. After being placed in its usual place, a prayer vigil began.
An official ceremony on December 7, which will be attended by the French president, Emmanuel Macronand high-level guests, and a Mass of consecration for the faithful the following day will mark the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral.