“This forest has been managed for a very long time, at least since Charlemagne.
In the Middle Ages, its wood was used to build churches in Ile-de-France.
It was used for example to make the Gothic choir of the church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés.
»The explanations of Renaud Trangosi, one of the forest technicians of the forest of Villefermoy (Seine-et-Marne), give a historical meaning to the action of the State and of the architects in charge of the project.
As at the time, the oaks of this forest massif located southwest of Nangis will be used to build a church.
Or rather to rebuild it, since it is about the restoration of the spire of Notre-Dame de Paris, work of the architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, destroyed during the fire of April 15 and 16, 2019 .
In Ile-de-France, five state-owned forests, owned by the State and managed by the National Forestry Office (ONF), participate in the national solidarity effort: Les Trois-Pignons (Seine-et-Marne), Dourdan (Essonne), Marly (Yvelines), Meudon (Hauts-de-Seine) and Villefermoy, which with 59 oaks is the region's largest contributor.
In total, these five forest stands should supply 85 oak trees to the project.
Villefermoy forest, this Monday.
Oak number 27 is chainsaw cut by Yahia and Keskin, the two loggers.
LP / Sébastien Blondé
A thousand in total will be needed for this restoration as a whole.
Half of these trees will come from French public forests.
The others will come from private domains.
In Seine-et-Marne, the forest of Ferrières, owned by the Green Spaces Agency and therefore of the region, was also called upon.
Intended for other buyers, they have been reassigned
The 59 oaks of Villefermoy have finished being cut this Monday.
They were not specially selected for the boom reconstruction operation.
The NFB had already chosen to cut them.
This is the principle of forestry.
"We had decided to cut them down to promote the other trees around and regenerate the forest," explains Sylvain Jannaire, the other forestry technician from Villefermoy.
"We cut the big for the benefit of the small", summarizes Renaud Trangosi.
“These plots are about 150 years old,” continues the latter.
Five to six generations of foresters have worked them.
This oak
(Editor's note: which will be cut a few minutes later)
has done its job.
He made a whole bunch of little seedlings around.
Now it's these little trees to grow up.
"
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VIDEO. Meudon Forest: the first oaks felled to rebuild the framework of Notre-Dame de Paris
Intended initially for other buyers, it turns out that their measurements, in terms of length and diameter, corresponded to the specifications of the pieces sought by the architects of historical monuments for the restoration of Notre-Dame.
They were therefore reassigned.
"Their logs have good straightness, are 5 to 13 meters high and have a minimum diameter of 50 centimeters and relatively regular," says the ONF.
"Already in the Middle Ages, we built with the wood of this forest"
We also needed oak from here.
“It is our Gallic oak, that of Vercingétorix, specifies Renaud Trangosi.
American red oak, for example, was not needed.
"
Stored for a few weeks along forest roads, the timber will then go to partner sawmills.
Sawing operations will take place from April to September.
The first parts will then be submitted to the master carpenters for validation, in order to ensure their conformity and the quality required for the jib.
Villefermoy forest, this Monday.
Numbered after being felled, the diameter of the oak is immediately measured.
LP / Sébastien Blondé
They will then need to finish drying for 12 to 18 months.
The start of the assembly stages will then begin, towards the end of 2022. If they do not conform to the end, the oaks will be sold to lumber dealers and may end up on tables or other furniture.
"It's interesting to know that, already in the Middle Ages, we were building with the wood of this forest, recognizes Yannick Guillo (SE), the mayor of Saint-Ouen-en-Brie and president of the community of municipalities of Brie. Nangissienne.
I now hope that they will be treated in France and not abroad.
"
Dominique attended these last slaughterings as an observer.
He was impressed, especially with the noise.
For him and his group of friends present, “Notre-Dame is the history of France.
All the French were moved by the fire.
It is good that it is rebuilt identically.
"