Rebuilding Notre Dame Brings Workers Back to Middle Ages

If time travel was possible, woodworkers from the Middle Ages would be surprised to see their woodworking methods being used to rebuild Notre Dame¹ Cathedral today.

The famous religious center in Paris, France started being built more than 800 years ago in 1163. It was largely completed by 1345. A fire in April 2019 caused extensive damage to the roof and its spire².

Now, modern-day woodworkers are working with hand tools like workers from the Middle Ages to put together the new roof. It has given them a new appreciation³ of woodworking methods first used in the 13th century.

"It's a little mind-bending sometimes," said Peter Henrikson, one of the woodworkers. He said sometimes he is thinking about the old workers while using similar hand tools like a mallet⁴ and chisel⁵ to cut "basically the same joint⁶ 900 years ago." And he added, "We probably are in some ways thinking the same things."

The use of hand tools to rebuild the roof was a choice, especially since power tools would have done the work more quickly. The aim is to remember the skills of the cathedral's builders and to ensure that the centuries-old art of woodworking by hand lives on.

"We want to restore this cathedral as it was built in the Middle Ages," says Jean-Louis Georgelin. He is the retired⁷ French army general who oversees⁸ the rebuilding.

"It is a way to be faithful to the (handiwork) of all the people who built all the extraordinary monuments in France."

With the goal to reopen the cathedral by December 2024, workers are also using computer designs and other modern technologies to quicken the rebuilding. Computers were used in the drawings of detailed⁹ plans for woodworkers, to help ensure that their hand-made wood pieces fit together perfectly¹⁰.

Henrikson noted¹¹ it is something "... to think about how they [the old workers] did this with what they had, the tools and technology that they had at the time."

The rebuilding of the roof hit an important marker in May. Large parts of the new wooden frame were put together and raised at a workshop in the Loire Valley, in western France.

The practice run helped workers be sure that the frame is fit for purpose. The next time it is put together will be atop the cathedral. Unlike in the old days, the wood frame will be trucked into Paris and lifted by a machine into position. Some 1,200 trees have been cut for their wood.

Remi Fromont created detailed drawings of the original frame in 2012. He said the aim was to create "the wooden frame structure that disappeared during the fire of April 15, 2019."

The rebuilt frame "is the same wooden frame structure of the 13th century," he added. "We have exactly the same material: oak. We have the same tools, with the same axes that were used, exactly the same tools. We have the same know-how¹². And soon, it will return to its same place."

Words in This Story

spire – n. a tall, narrow, pointed¹³ structure on the top of a building

appreciation – n. an ability to understand the worth, quality, or importance of something

mind-bending – adj. very confusing or exciting

restore – v. to return (something) to an earlier or original condition by repairing it or cleaning it

faithful – adj. exact and accurate

handiwork – n. work that is done by using your hands

monuments – n. a building or place that is important because of when it was built or because of something in history that happened there

frame – n. an arrangement of parts that support and form the basic shape of something

1 dame   

n.女士

参考例句：

• The dame tell of her experience as a wife and mother.这位年长妇女讲了她作妻子和母亲的经验。
• If you stick around,you'll have to marry that dame.如果再逗留多一会，你就要跟那个夫人结婚。

2 spire   

n.(教堂)尖顶，尖塔，高点

参考例句：

• The church spire was struck by lightning.教堂的尖顶遭到了雷击。
• They could just make out the spire of the church in the distance.他们只能辨认出远处教堂的尖塔。

3 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

4 mallet   

n.槌棒

参考例句：

• He hit the peg mightily on the top with a mallet.他用木槌猛敲木栓顶。
• The chairman rapped on the table twice with his mallet.主席用他的小木槌在桌上重敲了两下。

5 chisel   

n.凿子；v.用凿子刻，雕，凿

参考例句：

• This chisel is useful for getting into awkward spaces.这凿子在要伸入到犄角儿里时十分有用。
• Camille used a hammer and chisel to carve out a figure from the marble.卡米尔用锤子和凿子将大理石雕刻出一个人像。

6 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

7 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

8 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网

9 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

10 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

11 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

12 know-how   

n.知识；技术；诀窍

参考例句：

• He hasn't got the know-how to run a farm.他没有经营农场的专业知识。
• I don't have much know-how about engines.发动机方面的技术知识我知之甚少。

13 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。