尖塔に黄金の風見鶏設置 ノートルダム大聖堂 仏パリ

【パリＡＦＰ＝時事】フランス・パリで１６日、ノートルダム大聖堂の新しい尖塔（せんとう）に黄金の風見鶏の像が設置された。（写真はパリのノートルダム大聖堂で新しい尖塔〈せんとう〉に設置される風見鶏の像）
　ノートルダム大聖堂は２０１９年の火災で壊滅的な被害を受け、大規模な修復作業が続けられおり、来年１２月に一般公開の再開が予定されている。
　風見鶏の像は青空に冬の日差しが降り注ぐ中、高さ９６メートル地点にある尖塔に向かってつり上げられた。
　デザインは、再建事業の主任建築家フィリップ・ビルヌーブ氏が手掛けた。もともと設置されていた風見鶏の像は、火災で大きく損傷したため修復できなかった。
　ビルヌーブ氏は、新しい像の「炎の翼」は「大聖堂は不死鳥のように灰の中から生まれ変わることができる」ことを思い起こさせると述べた。
　像には、２０１９年４月１５日の大火災をまぬかれた遺物や、大聖堂の再建に携わった約２０００人の名前が記された封書が収められている。
　今月６日には、尖塔に装飾の施された十字架が設置された。
【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2023/12/18-18:04）

Paris's Notre Dame Cathedral got a new golden rooster on Saturday, part of its renaissance from the ashes of the 2019 fire that severely damaged it and ahead of its reopening next year.
The artefact was blessed by the archbishop of Paris Laurent Ulrich before being lifted into place on the cathedral spire 96 metres (104 yards) high, in blue skies and winter sunshine.
The new rooster, designed by Philippe Villeneuve, one of the architects leading the restoration of the cathedral, replaces the original, which was too damaged by the fire to be reused.
Villeneuve said the new rooster's wings of fire were a reminder that the cathedral can be reborn from the ashes, like a phoenix.
In the Christian faith, the rooster symbolises the return of light after night-time. It is also one of the symbols of France, found on the strips of the national football and rugby teams, among others.
The new rooster also contains relics saved from the April 15, 2019 cathedral fire, and a sealed document with the names of almost 2,000 people who worked on its reconstruction of the cathedral.
The restoration and rebuilding project has been an unparalleled human adventure, said Philippe Jost, president of the Rebuilding Notre-Dame de Paris public body.
French President Emmanuel Macron visited the cathedral on December 8, a year to the day before its planned reopening, to which he intends to invite Pope Francis.
Macron had initially promised to have Notre Dame restored within five years, in time for the Paris Olympics next summer.
- Cause of fire still unknown -
But after early setbacks in the rebuilding effort, he set a new deadline.
This month has seen key developments in the restoration efforts.
On December 6, the cathedral regained its great cross, affixed to the top of its spire, the silhouette of which can be seen behind the scaffolding.
The next stage is to cover the spire in lead, a material that has given rise to much debate, but Jost recently sought to reassure the French parliament's cultural affairs committee over the plan.
He explained that the lead cloud which appeared in the sky following the fire, which gave rise to much controversy and complaints from local residents, did not cause any visible contamination.
Jost has also promised an innovative fire-fighting system for the cathedral.
Four and a half years after the disaster, the cause of the fire is still being investigated.
Restoration of the UNESCO-listed building, which had 12 million visitors a year, has hit several snags since people around the world watched aghast as its steeple crashed down in the blaze on April 15, 2019.
Since then, more than 848 million euros has been raised from donations towards its restoration.
The plan is that, once reopened, the cathedral will be able to receive 14 million visitors a year, when it reopens next December.
That would be two million more than were able to visit before the fire happened.