More than 1,000 oak trees will be required to reconstruct the spire of the French cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris, which was destroyed by fire in 2019.
They are looking for age-old trees in all French provinces: 20 oak trees have already been found in Brittany, 8 in Pampont.
“In the largest forest in Brittany, one of the last selected trees was felled,” says Thomas de Ballion, president of the Brittany Forestry Experts Association. – Before we cut them all down, we had to cut all the branches. The tree that will be used for the reconstruction of the spire should have the most straightforward structural elements, therefore, with all the variety of oaks in France, there are few worthy ones.
Almost all of the oak trees found grow on privately owned territories. But all the owners did not hesitate to take the trees for reconstruction.
Now these oaks are to be sawn and left to dry, which can last from a year to one and a half years. For every tree felled in Brittany, 15 new oaks will be planted.
Work on the restoration of the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris is due to begin in 2023.
