Reign on the throne! Notre Dame Cathedral is decorated with a brand new golden rooster, reimagined as a phoenix, four years after a fire destroyed the iconic Parisian landmark

Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is decorated with a brand new golden rooster, reimagined as a phoenix.

It came four years after a fire, which remains under investigation, destroyed the iconic UNESCO-listed Parisian monument on April 15, 2019.

The crane installation of the new golden bird with flamed feathers goes beyond just a weather vane atop the cathedral spire.

It symbolizes resilience amid the post-fire devastation – as restoration officials also revealed that an anti-fire fogging system is being installed under the cathedral’s roof.

Chief architect Philippe Villeneuve, who designed this new rooster, stated that the survival of the original rooster represented a ray of light in the catastrophe.

The crane installation of the new golden bird with flamed feathers goes beyond just a weather vane atop the cathedral spire

‘That there was hope, that not all was lost. The beauty of the (old) battered rooster… expressed the cry of the cathedral going up in flames,” Villeneuve said. He described the new artwork, about half a meter tall and gleaming in the December sun behind Notre Dame, as his “phoenix.”

The plan is that once reopened, the cathedral will be able to receive 14 million visitors a year and will reopen in December next year.

That would be two million more than we could visit before the fire broke out.

The restoration and reconstruction project was “an unprecedented human adventure,” said Philippe Jost, president of the government agency Rebuilding Notre-Dame de Paris.

French President Emmanuel Macron visited the cathedral on December 8, a year to the day before its planned reopening, to which he wants to invite Pope Francis.

Macron had initially promised to have Notre Dame restored within five years, in time for the Olympic Games in Paris next summer.

Elaborating on the significance of the new rooster, Villeneuve said: ‘Since (the fire) we have been working on this rooster (the) successor, which sees the flame carried to the top of the cathedral as before, more than 96 meters of the cathedral. ground… It is a fire of resurrection.”

In light-hearted comments, the architect said the design process was so intense he might have to talk to his “therapist” about it.

It symbolizes resilience amid the devastation following the devastating fire of April 2019 – when restoration officials also revealed that an anti-fire fogging system is being installed under the cathedral’s roof

Before ascending to its place, the rooster – a French emblem of vigilance and the resurrection of Christ – was blessed by Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich in a square behind the monument.

The rooster is an emotional national emblem for the French because of the semantics of the word: the Latin gallus means Gaul and gallus simultaneously means rooster.

Ulrich placed holy relics in a hole in the rooster’s chest, including fragments of Christ’s crown of thorns and remains of St. Denis and St. Genevieve, giving the statue religious importance.

The Crown of Thorns, considered Notre Dame’s most sacred relic, was among the treasures quickly removed after the fire broke out.

It was brought to Paris by King Louis IX in the 13th century and is said to have been imprinted on Christ’s head during the crucifixion. A sealed tube was also placed inside the sculpture containing a list of the names of almost 2,000 individuals who contributed to the cathedral’s reconstruction, underscoring the collective effort behind the works.

Amid the cock blessing ceremony, Philippe Jost, Notre Dame’s new head of restoration, also detailed groundbreaking measures taken to protect the iconic cathedral from future fires – in rare comments to the press.

“We deployed a range of fire protection equipment, some of which is very innovative in a cathedral, including a misting system in the attics, where the oak frame and in the spire are located,” Jost said. “And this is a first for a cathedral in France.”

French President Emmanuel Macron, who visited the site last week to mark the one-year countdown to its reopening, announced that the original rooster will be displayed in a new museum at the Hôtel-Dieu. The move, along with plans to invite Pope Francis to the cathedral’s reopening next year, underlines the significance of Notre Dame in French history and culture.

The installation of the rooster, which crowns a spire reconstructed from the 19th century design by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, is a poignant reminder of its medieval origins as a symbol of hope and faith.

The long association with the French nation since the Renaissance further contributes to its historical and cultural significance and marks a new chapter of renewal and hope for Notre Dame and the French people.