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In the Studio: The rebuilding of Notre Dame

Agn猫s Poirier follows the craftspeople reconstructing France's famous gothic cathedral almost destroyed by fire in 2019.

The cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris is one of France鈥檚 most famous landmarks. It has stood on the 脦le de la Cit茅 in the heart of France鈥檚 capital since the 12th Century. On 15 April 2019, it was engulfed by flames, but thanks to the bravery of hundreds of firefighters, Notre Dame remained standing. The devastation was, however, immense. The spire collapsed into the nave and the lead roof melted and evaporated. The lattice framework underneath it, made of a thousand oak beams known affectionately as The Forest, turned to charcoal and dust. Agn猫s Poirier travels around France to talk to the army of craftspeople from across the world, who have been painstakingly reconstructing and restoring Notre Dame. She travels to the Loire to see the work of two American carpenters Jackson du Bois and Michael Burrey, representatives of the US Handshouse Studio: Notre Dame project, who are helping to rebuild the spire. Agn猫s then visits Normandy where the famous bells are being restored to speak to Paul Bergamo and also where the iconic ornate cross is being repaired by Vincent Combes and his team. Finally she comes face to face with a gargoyle and finds out how to redesign the perfect beast.

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51 minutes

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