On April 15, 2024, La Poste issues a stamp block titled "Treasures of Notre-Dame, the Roof Structure." This series, initiated in 2020, highlights the treasures, wealth, and heritage of the cathedral throughout the entire period of its reconstruction. This block thus concludes this series, with the reopening of the Cathedral scheduled for December 2024. Nicknamed "the forest," the vast roof structure of Notre-Dame de Paris is the cathedral's best-hidden treasure. Invisible to worshippers and visitors, it supports the lead covering that protects the vaults from the elements.
This gigantic structure, 100 meters long and 10 meters high, was built in the 12th and 13th centuries. It underwent several renovations during the Middle Ages, the main one dating back to 1378. In the 19th century, architects Viollet-le-Duc and Lassus restored the roof structure and built a new spire. After the complete destruction by fire of this unique structure in 2019, the decision to rebuild it almost identically was made. A thorough study and dating of the charred remains were conducted by around sixty researchers specializing in wood, from archaeologists to climatologists. In parallel, chief architects of historical monuments and engineers developed the documents and calculations allowing the carpenters to establish the layout of the various roof components. Fortunately, the roof structure had been thoroughly surveyed in the 2010s.
This exceptional heritage project has called upon centuries-old expertise. Thus, the approximately 1,400 oaks from French forests were roughly processed using a mixed technique combining mechanical sawing and manual squaring. Adzes or short-handled axes were specially forged for this project. Before being transported to the site, the different parts of the roof structure were assembled on the ground. This "dry run" allows, according to the ancestral technique of carpenters, to verify the precision of the assemblies. With the completion of the new roof structure, the cathedral regains its legendary silhouette, outlined against the Paris sky.
