The day after the Notre-Dame fire of April 15, 2019, archaeologists were called to the cathedral. Three years later, an excavation, conducted by the French National Institute of Preventive Archaeological Research, yielded important data on the construction and evolution of the cathedral, as well as on burials and findings of numerous other elements. Among these is the medieval rood screen, separating the chancel from the nave and destroyed in the reign of Louis XIV, but found nonetheless in an exceptional state of preservation. With Dorothée Chaoui-Derieux, conservator-in-chief; Christophe Besnier, lead archaeologist for the Institute; Philippe Villeneuve, chief architect; and Philippe Jost, director of restoration Notre-Dame; we learn about key results of this historic restoration project.
Length: 15 min
Country: France
Language: French w/ English subtitles
Director: Thibaud Marchand
Producer(s): Inrap, Thibaud Marchand, Nadia Cleitman