Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption Cathedral is a Gothic building built from 1248. It replaced a Romanesque cathedral on the same site that had itself been preceded by two other Christian shrines. His initial patronage was that of Saint Vital and Saint Agricol. Most of the current construction dates from the second half of the 13th century. However, the western facade and the two adjacent bays of the nave, were built on the project of the architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc during the second half of the nineteenth century. The cathedral was listed as a historic monument in 1862. It has been state-owned since 1905.
The report of the Court of Auditors of June 2022 is based on the elements extracted from the health report carried out by the DRAC and transmitted by the Ministry of Culture to parliamentarians.
It reports on the overall health status of these buildings and the amount of credits invested by each DRAC over the period 2007/2018.
This notion must be understood in its heritage sense, that is, a cultural property that, in the absence of rapid intervention, may suffer a major artistic loss: sculptures or murals that may disappear due to lack of consolidation or repair of protective structures, frameworks and vaults threatened by major disorders in roofing.
This meaning is distinct from the notion defined by Article L.511-1 of the Code de la construction et de l'habitation, which provides that the mayor may prescribe the repair or demolition of any walls, buildings or buildings when they threaten ruin and they could, by their collapse, by compromising security, or when, in general, they do not provide the necessary guarantees of solidity to maintain public safety.
The cathedral of Clermont-Ferrand does not correspond to this definition, and does not present any particular danger «towards the people».
The planned works aim to prevent the risks of heritage degradation that have been identified.
Upstream of this major project, and as is the rule for this type of intervention, the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs carried out a lead diagnosis on the entire cathedral. This diagnosis, which included an important series of measurements, was carried out throughout the building and in its immediate vicinity.
551 measuring points were thus checked both on the ground and on the elevations, in order to identify and characterize the lead concentration in order to ensure, in particular, the perfect information of the companies which are brought to intervene there and of their employees.
If the «lead» regulation does not impose any particular constraint for people attending these establishments receiving the public, prevention measures must nevertheless be put in place for employees who have to work directly in contact with this material.
The diagnosis made it possible to identify all the lead elements present in the cathedral. Not surprisingly for this type of construction, the presence of lead has been detected on all the roofs of the great roof, the tree of Jesse which crowns the apse and the belfries (the cathedral is covered with lead since the beginning of the sixteenth century), in the composition of some ancient paintings (wall paintings, railings), in some seals, as well as on all the stained glass windows (since antiquity, lead networks constitute the structure of the stained glass).
In addition to elements containing lead, the diagnosis highlighted the presence of lead in the form of dust likely from the slow degradation of structures containing lead, but also from old air pollution (exhaust gases
related to the use of leaded gasoline). The levels measured are consistent with those expected on an old building.
Since 2017: a new dynamic, the roofing restoration project
In 2017, a new
chief architect of historic monuments
, Rémi Fromont, is appointed to conduct the studies and restoration work of the cathedral, under the contracting authority of the
Regional Directorate for Cultural Affairs
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
From 2017 to 2019, several studies are entrusted to him by the Regional Conservation of Historic Monuments (2017: survey of the cathedral/ 2018: evaluation study/ 2019: diagnosis of the enclosure and the canopy, structural diagnosis and safety diagnosis), to establish health priorities and a multi-year work programme.
From the end of 2019, security works are carried out by the ACMH on the cover of the nave, in order to ensure its protection pending the completion of studies that must allow its complete restoration. In parallel and under the project management of the
Architect of the buildings of France
, regular maintenance work is carried out.
In September 2020, the study for the “Cathedral Water Saving” – identified as a priority issue – has been completed. It provides for an ambitious and necessary campaign of work, aimed at the rehabilitation of all the roofs of the cathedral and the improvement of fire safety, in line with the new orientations of the cathedral security plan put in place following the fire of Notre-Dame de Paris on April 15 and 16, 2019.
2021 is dedicated to the development of the first phase of the lead roofing restoration project,
with the definition of operating procedures and site facilities. These studies conducted with a specialized design office and in partnership with the labour inspectorate, made it possible to define protocols in order to ensure on the one hand the conditions of exercise of the companies (protection of the workers) and on the other hand the safety of local residents by guaranteeing the waterproofing of the site.
2023 : the start of a major project, the restoration of the roofs.
The building has normal wear and tear on its roofing. This wear and tear, which is now significant, requires short-term intervention. Moreover, the sealing defects have gradually altered the interior coatings of the vaults requiring precautionary measures: net laying in 2019 in the first western spans, which continued in early 2023 in the lowersides, transept crossing and ambulatory.
Phasing and financial investment
The restoration project led by the chief architect will allow the covers to find, in fine, their role of «putting out of water» of the cathedral. This project plans to intervene on all the roofing elements (lead and stone covers) of the cathedral, which gives it an extraordinary dimension and imposes for reasons, both cost, organization, but also study time or procurement time, to sequence it in several phases.
Three operational phases are identified, they concern:
1) The Western Massif which will begin in 2023
The operation will ensure the tightness of the roofs, as well as improve the conditions of intervention of firefighters (creation of access floor/ installation of dry columns). The operation financed under the recovery plan amounts to €4.5 million and will last 16 months.
2) Restoration of the coverage of the nave’s central vessel.
The operation will start in 2024 or 2025 for an estimated 11 million euros. It will include the restoration of the roofs of the nave, the choir, the transepts, as well as the terraces of the southern and northern massifs and the Bayette tower. Structural recoveries such as the restoration of a diaphragm arch of the roof (art support of the cover) weakened in 2000 and consolidated since, will be carried out. Given the importance of the operation revealed by the amount, this phase will take place over several successive years.
3) The restoration of the intermediate covers (that is, the stone covers of the aisles and chapels) for an estimated amount of 6 million euros.
In total, a global project with an estimated amount of nearly 21.5 million euros and a minimum duration of 6 years, will begin.
In view of the long duration of this work, a reflection is undertaken to allow the launch of operations equally urgent to improve safety, in particular with regard to the fire regulations of the building, as required by the Ministry of Culture, as part of the Cathedral Security Action Plan
The whole challenge for the teams of the Drac and for the chief architect, is to reconcile these emergency works, therefore by definition not predictable with the consequent program of the planned works, in a schedule and a constrained budget.
Opening of the cathedral: The project that will start in the 2nd half of 2023 will concern the western massif. Unlike the restoration work of the bay on the south side which will take place in the first half of the year, the intervention of the companies will be carried out exclusively outside the spaces accessible to the public, allowing to ensure the opening and the usual uses of the cathedral.
Construction site installation: in order to intervene on the two north and south towers, a construction site fence will be set up on the entire western facade of the cathedral. The base-life will be positioned on the north forecourt of the cathedral, Place de la Bourse.Public information: the installation of educational panels installed on the construction fence is already planned.
The DRAC The Regional Directorate for Cultural Affairs under the authority of the Regional Prefect, leads and implements, on the regional territory, the policies of the Ministry of Culture. With its services, which are the Regional Conservation of Historical Monuments (CRMH) and the Departmental Units of Architecture and Heritage, it ensures, from the site of Clermont-Ferrand (Hôtel de Chazerat) the maintenance, restoration, the enhancement of the cathedral and the conditions necessary for its opening.
CRMH : The regional conservation of historical monuments is the service of the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs (DRAC) which carries out the project management on the cathedral. It commissions and finances the restoration projects carried out by the chief architect of the historic monuments.
ACMH : The Chief Architect of the Historic Monuments is the prime contractor for the restoration of the Cathedral. He conducts studies and restoration projects, under the scientific and technical control of the CRMH.
THE ABF : The architect of the buildings of France, of the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs (DRAC), carries out the mission of curator of the cathedral. As such, he carries out maintenance and repair work and is the sole safety officer with the public authorities.
The clergy : He is the patron saint of the cathedral. He is the guarantor of the proper use of the building in accordance with the cultural destination given to him by law.
City: Clermont-Ferrand (Puy-de-Dôme)
Building: Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption Cathedral, Listed Historic Monument in 1862
Owner: State
Assignee: Diocese of Clermont-Ferrand
Duration of construction: 2023 - 2029
Estimated cost of the operation: 21.5 million euros,
Financier: 100% financed by the State/ Ministry of Culture - DRAC Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Project management: DRAC Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes - Regional conservation of historic monuments
Project management: Rémi FROMONT, chief architect of historical monuments
Photo credits: ©DRAC Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes-CRMH
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