Notre-Dame de Paris was partially destroyed by a fire on April 15 2019, exactly 5 years ago. The building is a masterpiece of Gothic architecture. VIDEOGRAPHIC
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00:00The construction of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris began in 1163, and the basic structure
00:13was finished in 1345.
00:15The building covers a surface area of 6,000 square meters, 127 meters long, 40 meters
00:21wide and 33 meters high.
00:24Until the mid-13th century, it was the largest religious monument in the Western world.
00:29A masterpiece of Gothic architecture, Notre-Dame was laid out in the form of a cross to reflect
00:34the divine order.
00:38Architectural features and technical innovation made it possible to construct ever-higher
00:43buildings.
00:45Builders could produce pointed arches on doorways and made systematic use of higher and higher
00:50ribbed vaulting, thanks to the flying buttress, a support built against the outside walls.
00:56To reach these great heights, the builders invented hydraulic saws to section the blocks
01:00of stone, lifting gear like the so-called squirrel cage, which made it possible for
01:05one man to raise 600 kilograms high onto the scaffolding.
01:10Thanks to these techniques, it was possible to make large openings in the walls that housed
01:14vast stained glass windows, much bigger than was possible in the Middle Ages.
01:19To protect the stone from the rain, gargoyles were positioned at the end of the gutters,
01:23leaning into the void.
01:27The forest, the name given to Notre-Dame's timber work, was an impressive tangle of oak
01:31beams.
01:32Around 1,000 trees were used in the 13th century construction.
01:36Before the fire in April 2019, the forest was regarded as a masterpiece for its technical
01:42complexity and exceptional state of preservation.
01:47Because of the lack of clay to manufacture tiles, the roof was made of lead.
01:51The lead weighed 210 tons.
01:54There was an organ in Notre-Dame as early as the 12th century, however the instrument
01:58that survived the fire in April 2019 dates from the 15th century.
02:04With nearly 12 million visitors a year, Notre-Dame was the most visited monument not only in
02:10France but in Europe before the blaze.
02:13The cathedral will be restored exactly as it was before the fire.
02:17Work should be finished by 2024.