Golden Rooster Restored on the Spire of Notre-Dame as Renovation Enters Final Stage

The dream of eventually having the Notre-Dame Cathedral busy with the overflow of its usual visits and activities is definitely on its way to becoming a reality. A new milestone in the renovation of the initially razed edifice has been set with the return of the golden rooster on the spire.

With the help of a large crane on Saturday, the rooster was hoisted to the top of the spire of the Notre-Dame Cathedral. This was after a ceremony of blessings led by Archbishop Laurent Ulrich.

The new flame-shaped rooster comprises religious antiques and a parchment with the list of names of workers, patrons, and donors who are working tirelessly to ensure the reopening ceremony is realised on December 8, 2024, Reuters reports. Adding that the old fire-damaged rooster will be displayed in a new Notre-Dame museum.

Philippe Villeneuve, the chief architect of historical sites who designed the new rooster describes it as a phoenix. He explains that the rooster being lifted to the spire again symbolises the “fire of resurrection”.

“(It) shows that the flame is carried to the highest point of the cathedral… the fire is carried up there, but it’s a fire of resurrection,” he said.

Restoration works are currently underway on the French Cathedral, Notre-Dame. The cathedral which suffered blazing fires on April 15, 2019, is on its way to recovery. The blaze destroyed the roof and spire that displayed the magnificence of the cathedral.

During a visit to the construction site a year (December 8, 2023) ahead of the grand reopening date, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his satisfaction with the works made so far.

“Since April 2019, the entire nation has been rebuilding,” Macron told reporters. “And it’s very moving to be here a year before. You can see the extraordinary progress of the work on this nave, the choir and the frames and the spire.”