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General Georgelin and Notre-Dame: "I don't feel invested in a divine mission"

2020-01-15T05:44:16.135Z


Nine months after the fire that ravaged the cathedral, the Parisian takes stock with General Jean-Louis Georgelin, commissioned by Emmanue


He has the strong word… making his fame by asking, before the deputies, the architect of historic monuments “to close his mouth”. But it also has the rare verb. It is the first time that General Jean-Louis Georgelin, 71, appointed on December 2, 2019, at the head of the public establishment responsible for the restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral, decides to speak and present his mission, nine months, right after the dramatic fire. With the hope that the military method faces miracles ...

Why a general at the head of this state site?

JEAN-LOUIS GEORGELIN. The president wanted a person who had exercised high responsibilities within the state and who was experienced in administrative combat. He wanted it to be Catholic, because let us not forget that the primary objective is to return the cathedral to worship from April 2024, probably even before the end of the construction of the spire or of the arrangements in the vicinity of the building. He also wanted a man of authority. I have commanded French armies and I believe that I meet these three criteria.

How are you most competent for such a project?

It is not for me to say. But once I have been chosen, I will fulfill the mission given to me with determination and enthusiasm. I have always had a deep interest and attachment for our architectural heritage. In my previous duties, I had the opportunity to lead heritage restoration projects. And you know, restoring Notre-Dame is not just an architect's job. We also have to fight with the bureaucracy and sometimes with the red tape, which I know well.

VIDEO. "We cannot say that Notre-Dame is completely saved" "

When Emmanuel Macron entrusted you with this mission, what was your reaction?

I was surprised of course but I didn't even ask myself whether to accept or not. I am a soldier, I am a servant in the service of the State. Saying no was out of the question. I said yes without asking a question.

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What are your relationships with the President?

I spoke to her for the first time on April 16 at 6 p.m. in her office. On this mission, I have an obligation of result and the president keeps himself regularly informed. I spent an hour alone with him last week to take stock of Notre-Dame. If I have a difficult issue to resolve, I can have access to the chair, and that is essential for me.

What is your mission?

I don't feel invested in a divine mission (smile). My role as leader on this site is that everyone can see clearly, that everyone is in their place and that no one is in the fog. I am also there so that all those who work in the restoration of the cathedral, all the trades, all the companions, work in harmony and without friction.

Where is the investigation?

I think it will be very difficult to find the cause. The only thing that can be said is that the criminal track has been dismissed.

Even today, Notre-Dame is still in danger?

Notre-Dame is still in a state of peril. We cannot say firmly, clearly and definitively that the cathedral is saved. We will be able to say this when we have completed the dismantling of the scaffolding which has been destroyed around the spire and that we can inspect the vault in detail. We have every reason to worry about the state of the roof. Even if, all the indicators - posed since the first week after the fire - reveal that since the tragedy, only some stones fell in the transept, that the scaffolding also held out. We also realize that the stones and the mortar dry faster than we thought. Currently, the works are conducted under the regime of urgent urgency. The two main stages are the dismantling of the scaffolding, which will allow a final diagnosis, and the launch of restoration studies. Then we can schedule the work to be done.

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How can we articulate the idea of ​​an international competition for the arrow, the choice of the frame and the consultation with the French?

A consultation will be made, the forms of which we will define during the first half of this year. My role is to keep a cool head among all those who give their opinion. Even if there is a legitimate attachment of the French for Notre-Dame, its silhouette and what it represents in the whole world, there will not be a referendum. The choice will be made according to architectural, historical and cost elements.

A reflection on the wider perimeter than the cathedral must also be carried out?

The liturgical redevelopment of the cathedral is an important subject which will be carried out by the diocese in conjunction with the public establishment and the Ministry of Culture. It will also be an opportunity to rethink the flows of the 13 million visitors. There must be a real reflection on the square, the South promenade and the square of the archbishopric. All these lands belong to the City of Paris. Consultation will take place when the time comes. The financing of the surroundings, like that of the new liturgical furniture is not provided for by national subscription.

Are you reassured about donations?

We have over 922 million pledges. We have collected a hundred million. I have no concerns about this aspect of things, even if it is obviously too early to say how much the site will cost.

Do you not regret your first words before you even took office, asking chief architect Philippe Villeneuve, "to shut up?" »As he had advanced on making an identical arrow?

It was a galéjade which did not have place to start this hustle and bustle. I simply said to the architect of historic monuments that, like me, he had a duty of reserve on the question of the spire.

What will be your remuneration for this mission. It has been said that you would have asked for € 14,000.

Notre-Dame de Paris deserves better than these controversies. I never asked for € 14,000. The remuneration of a president of a public establishment is very precisely regulated. I do not know the amount and I did not deal with this issue at all, which is in the hands of the Ministry of Action and Public Accounts, which is responsible for determining my remuneration.

Night lighting returned to the cathedral. There is this exhibition on the palisades of the building site. These are also your projects to keep the French and tourists patient.

We want to bring life to this neighborhood. We started with the photo exhibit. I hope that we can quickly open the forecourt, which is a matter for the City of Paris. The rector of the cathedral will install an oratory. There will also be an exhibition of the treasure of Notre-Dame at the Hôtel-Dieu. And I hope that we will be able to ring the bells before the five years.

Do you have the keys to the cathedral?

I don't have the keys. But if I had them, I would no doubt go to meditate on the psalms at Notre-Dame.

Source: leparis

All life articles on 2020-01-15

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