The first spire was constructed above the transept crossing around 1250. It initially served as a bell tower housing five bells in the 17th century. This original spire was dismantled between 1786 and 1792.<\/p>\n
During the restoration of the cathedral in the 19th century, Viollet-le-Duc decided to erect a second spire, purely ornamental without any bell tower function. An octagonal base, supported by the four pillars of the transept, carried the structure, independent of the spire. In 1860, the architect tasked the carpenter Bellu with the work. This new design was very different from the previous one, composed of 500 tons of wood and 250 tons of lead, and it reached 96 meters from the ground. Unfortunately, the spire was consumed by flames and collapsed during the 2019 fire.<\/p>\n
The spire was covered with lead and adorned with copper statues representing the twelve apostles and symbols of the four evangelists. Saint Thomas, depicted with the likeness of Viollet-le-Duc, gazed skyward, seemingly contemplating his creation. He held a ruler in his right hand, signing his work. At the base of the pillar, an iron plaque featured Masonic symbols: a crossed square and compass. The rooster at the top of the spire contained three relics: a fragment of the crown of thorns, a relic of Saint Denis, and one of Saint Genevi\u00e8ve.<\/p>\n
In 2019, restoration work was underway on the wooden structure. The statues had been taken down for restoration due to copper oxidation that gave them their greenish patina. By sheer luck, these statues were spared from the fire’s destruction.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The first spire was constructed above the transept crossing around 1250. It initially served as a bell tower housing five bells in the 17th century. This original spire was dismantled between 1786 and 1792. An Ornamental Spire During the restoration of the cathedral in the 19th century, Viollet-le-Duc decided to erect a second spire, purely […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1120,"parent":3423,"menu_order":15,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-parts\/page-sidebar-menu-oeuvre.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3438","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"