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The first oaks used for the reconstruction of Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral were selected from a forest west of the French capital.
A total of 1,000 oak trees are expected to be harvested by the end of March and then used to rebuild the spire and roof of the cathedral, which was devastated by fire in April 2019.
Oak trees from all parts of France are used to reconstruct the precious national monument – about half coming from state land and the rest from private donations.
The ministers of agriculture and culture attended a selection ceremony for the first official tree, a 20-meter oak tree in the Bercé forest near Le Mans, some 200 kilometers from Paris.
“The restoration of Notre-Dame begins today”, declared Friday the Minister of Culture Roselyne Bachelot on social networks.
A project for the next ten centuries
“This is a project that concerns the whole of France,” said General Jean-Louis Georgelin, who chairs the body in charge of restoring Notre-Dame.
“He will keep the cathedral safe for eight centuries, ten centuries.”
The trees will be cut and stored for 12 to 18 months to prepare them for use in the reconstruction phase which is expected to begin in fall 2022, allowing for a planned reopening of the cathedral in April 2024.
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