Notre Dame fire: Repairs show hidden iron staples, reopening timeline confirmed
Restoration FILE PHOTO: Flames and smoke are seen billowing from the roof at Notre-Dame Cathedral on April 15, 2019 in Paris, France. Restoration continues nearly four years after the devastating fire. (Veronique de Viguerie/Getty Images)
ByNatalie Dreier, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
It has been nearly four years since a fire damaged Paris’ iconic Notre Dame Cathedral, but as repairs continue ahead of the 2024 reopening, the landmark is giving historians and archeologists a glimpse into how the cathedral was constructed.
The cathedral was damaged in a massive fire on April 15, 2019. The spire collapsed in the blaze that destroyed the roof of the church, The Associated Press reported.
That spire will be reconstructed, with it starting to appear this year, and the cathedral is scheduled to reopen in December 2024 for both tourists and religious services, the AP reported.
“The return of the spire in Paris’ sky will in my opinion be the symbol that we are winning the battle of Notre Dame,” Gen. Jean-Louis Georgelin told the AP earlier this month.
While people await the return of the spire, it is what has been found inside the church that has archeologists intrigued.
The church was held together by iron staples that bound the stones to one another, CBS News reported.
The use of iron staples was common in Roman and Greek construction to keep stone blocks in place on lower floors. The staples in Notre Dame, which measure from 10 to 20 inches long and weigh a few kilos, were used to keep walls upright. They were used in the walls of the nave, choir tribunes and cornice, CBS News reported.
Archeologists believe there could be more than a thousand staples throughout the church.
A recent study that describes the use of the staples said the iron connectors were installed in the choir’s checked cornice in 1195 and were not later additions during previous restoration projects. The study did say that there were iron chains and tie rods added to the top of the walls in the choir and upper vaults as part of a mid-19th-century restoration.
Scientists also dated some of the staples, confirming that the iron was cast around the time that Notre Dame was built — from the middle 12th or the beginning of the 13th centuries, the study found.
“Archaeological observations and radiocarbon dating performed on the iron staples sealed on the floor of the tribunes proves that the builders implemented them in the earliest phases of construction, most probably in the early 1160s,” the study’s authors wrote.
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Firefighters tackle the blaze as flames and smoke rise from Notre Dame cathedral as it burns in Paris, April 15, 2019. Thibault Camus/AP
Firefighters tackle the blaze as flames and smoke rise from Notre Dame cathedral as it burns in Paris, April 15, 2019. Thibault Camus/AP
Flames rise from Notre Dame cathedral as it burns. Massive plumes of yellow brown smoke is filling the air above Notre Dame Cathedral and ash is falling on tourists and others around the island that marks the center of Paris. (AP/Thibault Camus)
Smokes ascends as flames rise during a fire at the landmark Notre-Dame Cathedral in central Paris on April 15, 2019 afternoon, potentially involving renovation works being carried out at the site. (FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP/Getty Images)
Smokes ascends as flames rise during a fire at the landmark Notre-Dame Cathedral in central Paris on April 15, 2019 afternoon, potentially involving renovation works being carried out at the site. (FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP/Getty Images)
Flames and smoke are seen billowing from the roof at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris on April 15, 2019. - A fire broke out at the landmark Notre-Dame Cathedral in central Paris. (PIERRE GALY/AFP/Getty Images)
Flames and smoke are seen billowing from the roof at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris on April 15, 2019. - A fire broke out at the landmark Notre-Dame Cathedral in central Paris. (PIERRE GALY/AFP/Getty Images)
Smokes ascends as flames rise during a fire at the landmark Notre-Dame Cathedral in central Paris on April 15, 2019 afternoon, potentially involving renovation works being carried out at the site. (FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP/Getty Images)
Smokes ascends as flames rise during a fire at the landmark Notre-Dame Cathedral in central Paris on April 15, 2019 afternoon, potentially involving renovation works being carried out at the site. (FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP/Getty Images)
Flames rise during a fire at the landmark Notre-Dame Cathedral in central Paris on April 15, 2019 afternoon, potentially involving renovation works being carried out at the site, the fire service said. (FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP/Getty Images)
Flames rise from Notre Dame cathedral as it burns in Paris, Monday, April 15, 2019. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Plumes of smoke rises from Notre Dame cathedral burning in Paris. Massive plumes of smoke fills the air above Notre Dame Cathedral and ash is reported to be falling on tourists and others around the island that marks the center of Paris. (AP Photo)
Notre Dame cathedral is burning in Paris. Massive plumes of yellow brown smoke is filling the air above Notre Dame Cathedral and ash is falling on tourists and others around the island that marks the center of Paris. (AP Photo/Lori Hinant)
Notre Dame cathedral is burning in Paris, April 15, 2019. Massive plumes of yellow brown smoke is filling the air above Notre Dame Cathedral and ash is falling on tourists and others around the island that marks the center of Paris. (AP Photo)
People watch as flames and smoke rise from Notre Dame cathedral as it burns in Paris, Monday, April 15, 2019. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
People watch as flames and smoke rise from Notre Dame cathedral as it burns in Paris, Monday, April 15, 2019. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Flames rise from Notre Dame cathedral as it burns in Paris, Monday, April 15, 2019. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Locator Map for Notre Dame Fire. (d.allen/AP)
People watch Notre Dame cathedral burning in Paris, Monday, April 15, 2019. (AP Photo/Lori Hinnant)
People watch Notre Dame cathedral burning in Paris, Monday, April 15, 2019. (AP Photo/Oleg Cetinic)
Massive plumes of yellow brown smoke is filling the air above Notre Dame Cathedral and ash is falling on tourists and others around the island that marks the center of Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Firefighters tackle the blaze as flames and smoke rise from Notre Dame cathedral as it burns in Paris, Monday, April 15, 2019.. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
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Notre Dame Cathedral fire PARIS, FRANCE - MARCH 06: This statue of Mary, the best-know of the thirty seven representations of the Virgin in Notre-Dame cathedral is displayed during "Notre-Dame de Paris : au cœur du chantier" exhibition on March 06, 2023 in Paris, France. A new underground space in the forecourt of the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral in the French capital takes visitors on an educational journey that depict the ongoing construction of the cathedral since the 2019 fire. (Photo by Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images) (Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images)
Notre Dame Cathedral fire PARIS, FRANCE - MARCH 06: A giant wooden model of Notre-Dame cathedral is displayed during "Notre-Dame de Paris : au cœur du chantier" exhibition on March 06, 2023 in Paris, France. A new underground space in the forecourt of the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral in the French capital takes visitors on an educational journey that depict the ongoing construction of the cathedral since the 2019 fire. (Photo by Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images) (Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images)
Notre Dame Cathedral fire PARIS, FRANCE - MARCH 06: A polychrome angel's head from Notre-Dame cathedral is displayed during "Notre-Dame de Paris : au cœur du chantier" exhibition on March 06, 2023 in Paris, France. A new underground space in the forecourt of the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral in the French capital takes visitors on an educational journey that depict the ongoing construction of the cathedral since the 2019 fire. (Photo by Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images) (Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images)
Notre Dame Cathedral fire PARIS, FRANCE - MARCH 06: These examples of scaffolding are part of those seen on the Notre-Dame cathedral are displayed during "Notre-Dame de Paris : au cœur du chantier" exhibition on March 06, 2023 in Paris, France. A new underground space in the forecourt of the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral in the French capital takes visitors on an educational journey that depict the ongoing construction of the cathedral since the 2019 fire. (Photo by Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images) (Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images)
Notre Dame Cathedral fire PARIS, FRANCE - MARCH 06: A polychrome angel's head from Notre-Dame cathedral is displayed during "Notre-Dame de Paris : au cœur du chantier" exhibition on March 06, 2023 in Paris, France. A new underground space in the forecourt of the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral in the French capital takes visitors on an educational journey that depict the ongoing construction of the cathedral since the 2019 fire. (Photo by Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images) (Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images)
Notre Dame Cathedral fire PARIS, FRANCE - MARCH 06: Remnants of charred wood from Notre-Dame cathedral are displayed during "Notre-Dame de Paris : au cœur du chantier" exhibition on March 06, 2023 in Paris, France. A new underground space in the forecourt of the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral in the French capital takes visitors on an educational journey that depict the ongoing construction of the cathedral since the 2019 fire. (Photo by Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images) (Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images)
Notre Dame Cathedral fire PARIS, FRANCE - MARCH 06: A giant wooden model of Notre-Dame cathedral is displayed during "Notre-Dame de Paris : au cœur du chantier" exhibition on March 06, 2023 in Paris, France. A new underground space in the forecourt of the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral in the French capital takes visitors on an educational journey that depict the ongoing construction of the cathedral since the 2019 fire. (Photo by Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images) (Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images)
Notre Dame Cathedral fire PARIS, FRANCE - MARCH 06: A giant wooden model of Notre-Dame cathedral is displayed during "Notre-Dame de Paris : au cœur du chantier" exhibition on March 06, 2023 in Paris, France. A new underground space in the forecourt of the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral in the French capital takes visitors on an educational journey that depict the ongoing construction of the cathedral since the 2019 fire. (Photo by Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images) (Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images)
Notre Dame Cathedral fire PARIS, FRANCE - MARCH 06: A polychrome angel's head from Notre-Dame cathedral is displayed during "Notre-Dame de Paris : au cœur du chantier" exhibition on March 06, 2023 in Paris, France. A new underground space in the forecourt of the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral in the French capital takes visitors on an educational journey that depict the ongoing construction of the cathedral since the 2019 fire. (Photo by Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images) (Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images)
Notre Dame Cathedral fire PARIS, FRANCE - MARCH 06: The legend of Sainte-Genevieve Panel of a stained-glass window from the cloister of the sacristy of Notre-Dame cathedral is displayed during "Notre-Dame de Paris : au cœur du chantier" exhibition on March 06, 2023 in Paris, France. A new underground space in the forecourt of the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral in the French capital takes visitors on an educational journey that depict the ongoing construction of the cathedral since the 2019 fire. (Photo by Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images) (Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images)
Notre Dame Cathedral fire PARIS, FRANCE - MARCH 06: The legend of Sainte-Genevieve Panel of a stained-glass window from the cloister of the sacristy of Notre-Dame cathedral is displayed during "Notre-Dame de Paris : au cœur du chantier" exhibition on March 06, 2023 in Paris, France. A new underground space in the forecourt of the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral in the French capital takes visitors on an educational journey that depict the ongoing construction of the cathedral since the 2019 fire. (Photo by Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images) (Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images)
Notre Dame Cathedral fire PARIS, FRANCE - MARCH 06: Remnants of charred wood from Notre-Dame cathedral are displayed during "Notre-Dame de Paris : au cœur du chantier" exhibition on March 06, 2023 in Paris, France. A new underground space in the forecourt of the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral in the French capital takes visitors on an educational journey that depict the ongoing construction of the cathedral since the 2019 fire. (Photo by Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images) (Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images)
Notre Dame Cathedral fire PARIS, FRANCE - MARCH 06: Organ pipes from the grand organ of Notre-Dame cathedral are displayed during "Notre-Dame de Paris : au cœur du chantier" exhibition on March 06, 2023 in Paris, France. A new underground space in the forecourt of the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral in the French capital takes visitors on an educational journey that depict the ongoing construction of the cathedral since the 2019 fire. (Photo by Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images) (Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images)
Notre Dame Cathedral fire PARIS, FRANCE - MARCH 06: A giant wooden model of Notre-Dame cathedral is displayed during "Notre-Dame de Paris : au cœur du chantier" exhibition on March 06, 2023 in Paris, France. A new underground space in the forecourt of the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral in the French capital takes visitors on an educational journey that depict the ongoing construction of the cathedral since the 2019 fire. (Photo by Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images) (Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images)
Notre Dame Cathedral fire PARIS, FRANCE - MARCH 06: This statue of Mary, the best-know of the thirty seven representations of the Virgin in Notre-Dame cathedral is displayed during "Notre-Dame de Paris : au cœur du chantier" exhibition on March 06, 2023 in Paris, France. A new underground space in the forecourt of the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral in the French capital takes visitors on an educational journey that depict the ongoing construction of the cathedral since the 2019 fire. (Photo by Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images) (Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images)
Notre Dame Cathedral fire PARIS, FRANCE - MARCH 06: A wooden eagle owl, a mould and a lead eagle own are displayed during "Notre-Dame de Paris : au cœur du chantier" exhibition on March 06, 2023 in Paris, France. A new underground space in the forecourt of the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral in the French capital takes visitors on an educational journey that depict the ongoing construction of the cathedral since the 2019 fire. (Photo by Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images) (Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images)
Notre Dame Cathedral fire PARIS, FRANCE - MARCH 06: This statue of Mary, the best-know of the thirty seven representations of the Virgin in Notre-Dame cathedral is displayed during "Notre-Dame de Paris : au cœur du chantier" exhibition on March 06, 2023 in Paris, France. A new underground space in the forecourt of the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral in the French capital takes visitors on an educational journey that depict the ongoing construction of the cathedral since the 2019 fire. (Photo by Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images) (Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images)
Notre Dame Cathedral fire PARIS, FRANCE - MARCH 06: The artefacts in this block show the different stages in the creation and restoration of a stained-glass window during "Notre-Dame de Paris : au cœur du chantier" exhibition on March 06, 2023 in Paris, France. A new underground space in the forecourt of the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral in the French capital takes visitors on an educational journey that depict the ongoing construction of the cathedral since the 2019 fire. (Photo by Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images) (Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images)
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