The carving of the Virgin that was miraculously saved from the fire at the Notre Dame Cathedral returned to the temple this Friday, more than five years later. This milestone marks the final stretch for reopening on December 7th.
The carving, an image of Mary with the child, has returned to Notre Dame after a procession from the nearby church of Saint Germain l’Auxerrois. It has been there since October 2019 while the work of clearing debris and rebuilding the cathedral lasted.
It is a stone carving from the mid-14th century and known as Notre Dame (Our Lady) of Paris or Virgen del Pilar, since it was placed next to a column in the cathedral transept. The image, 1.80 meters high, came from a very 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 transept vaults and The charred remains of the carpentry fell at the feet of the sculpture, but without damaging it. The image was evacuated a day later.
Upon his return, more than six and a half months later, The statue has not been in the procession due to its fragility. In its place, a copy of the original made in resin was used, as detailed by the Archbishopric of Paris. Upon arrival at the doors of Notre Dame, the image was blessed by the archbishop, Laurent Ulrich.
Around a thousand people He has 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, attended by French President Emmanuel Macron and high-level guests, and a consecration mass for the faithful the following day will mark the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral.
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