Latest news with #LaurentUlrich
Local France
5 days ago
- General
- Local France
Notre-Dame gets back St Thomas statue adorning spire base
The statue, three metres tall and weighing 100 kilograms, was unaffected by the blaze, having been removed from the cathedral just days before for routine restoration, along with the other 15. "It's almost a miracle," said Marie-Helene Didier, in charge of historic buildings in the Paris region. "It's a very powerful symbol to see all the statues up there," she told AFP. After receiving a blessing from the archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich, it was heaved on the spire's base by crane. Advertisement The statue, currently hidden behind by scaffolding around the spire, will be fully visible by the end of August. Notre-Dame nearly burned down in 2019, but was fully renovated inside and fitted with a new roof and spire during a frenzied five-year refit. It held its first mass since the blaze in December, and reopened to the public shortly after. The 16 statues, representing the 12 apostles as well the four evangelists in the Catholic tradition, were designed in 1857 by Eugene Viollet-le-Duc, the architect of the spire, and sculpted by Adolphe-Victor Geoffroy-Dechaume. Geoffroy-Dechaume gave the statue of Saint Thomas, patron saint of architects, the features of Viollet-le-Duc. The exact cause of the 2019 blaze has never been identified despite a forensic investigation, which pointed to a likely accident such as an electrical fault.
France 24
5 days ago
- General
- France 24
Notre-Dame gets back St Thomas statue adorning spire base
The statue, three metres (10 feet) tall and weighing 100 kilograms (220 pounds), was unaffected by the blaze, having been removed from the cathedral just days before for routine restoration, along with the other 15. "It's almost a miracle," said Marie-Helene Didier, in charge of historic buildings in the Paris region. "It's a very powerful symbol to see all the statues up there," she told AFP. After receiving a blessing from the archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich, it was heaved on the spire's base by crane. The statue, currently hidden behind by scaffolding around the spire, will be fully visible by the end of August. Notre-Dame nearly burned down in 2019, but was fully renovated inside and fitted with a new roof and spire during a frenzied five-year refit. It held its first mass since the blaze in December, and reopened to the public shortly after. The 16 statues, representing the 12 apostles as well the four evangelists in the Catholic tradition, were designed in 1857 by Eugene Viollet-le-Duc, the architect of the spire, and sculpted by Adolphe-Victor Geoffroy-Dechaume. Geoffroy-Dechaume gave the statue of Saint Thomas, patron saint of architects, the features of Viollet-le-Duc. The exact cause of the 2019 blaze has never been identified despite a forensic investigation, which pointed to a likely accident such as an electrical fault.
Khaleej Times
19-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Khaleej Times
From Paris to Dubai: Gautier Capuçon set to shine on InClassica's stage after Notre-Dame reopening
More than five years after large sections of Paris's iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral were destroyed in an inferno that shocked the world, the jewel of the French capital recently opened its doors to the public once again, unveiling the hard work carried out by hundreds of conservationists, builders, and artisans over the course of the past months and years. This special occasion was marked with a spectacular ceremony held on the 7th of December, presided over by Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich and French President Emmanuel Macron, with more than 1,500 dignitaries from all around the globe gathered in attendance. Among the events that took place, audiences were treated to a classical performance from French siblings Renaud (violin) and Gautier Capuçon (cello), who presented an arrangement of the Passacaglia from Handel's Harpsichord Suite in G minor (HWV 432). A multiple award winner, Capuçon, who remarked that he felt 'very honoured to play at the reopening concert of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris' alongside his brother, is renowned for his expressive musicianship and exuberant virtuosity, having already become a household name amongst classical music lovers in France and beyond. Regularly performing with many of the leading orchestras and conductors of our time, the cellist has appeared in concert at the world's biggest venues and music halls, and is soon set to follow up on his Notre-Dame performance with an appearance at the 14th edition of the InClassica International Music Festival in Dubai. Coming to the stage of Dubai Opera from the April 6 to 21, InClassica 2025 will be featuring a staggering 16 concerts over more than two weeks, giving audiences the chance to witness the greatest living musicians active today in live performance. Across its run, the festival will be welcoming no fewer than 14 internationally acclaimed soloists, alongside two philharmonic orchestras, and five esteemed conductors. Capuçon will be headlining one concert during this edition of the festival, taking to the stage of Dubai Opera on April 17, as he looks to present a varied programme of works alongside the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra and their Chief Conductor Andrea Battistoni. This will include pieces by Battistoni himself, as well as Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's famous Fifth Symphony and others. With his participation in such high-profile events as these, Capuçon continues to underscore his central role within the contemporary classical music sphere, as well as his dedication to spreading the beauty of the shared global heritage and bringing exceptional performances to audiences around the globe, all the way from the steps of Notre-Dame to the biggest stage of Dubai.
