On Saturday, December 16th, Notre Dame Cathedral marked a significant moment in its restoration as a new golden rooster was installed, representing more than just a weathervane atop the spire. The rooster, redesigned as a dramatic phoenix with fiery feathers, serves as a symbol of resilience in the face of destruction caused by the April 2019 fire.
The installation comes as part of ongoing efforts to restore the cathedral, and officials also announced the implementation of an anti-fire misting system beneath the cathedral’s roof. Philippe Villeneuve, the chief architect responsible for the new rooster, emphasized that the survival of the original rooster was a symbol of hope amid the catastrophe. He also described the original, battered rooster as expressing the cathedral’s anguish during the flames. The new work of art, approximately half a meter in length and shining in the December sunlight, is referred to by Villeneuve as his “phoenix,” encapsulating the cathedral’s resilience and rebirth.
