President Emmanuel Macron, First Lady Brigitte Macron, and Philippe Jost, who oversees the Rebuild Notre Dame project, have taken up residence in the Choir of Notre Dame, the cathedral's most sacred space. The Choir of Notre Dame is a place of religious worship, pointed towards Jerusalem, where Christians believe Jesus Christ was crucified.
The Choir features a bronze tabernacle on architect Viollet-le-Duc's altar and statues depicting the Vow of Louis XIII. These sculptures were restored just four months before the devastating blaze in 2019. Following the fire, the statues required careful steam-cleaning and restoration due to fire damage, a meticulous process that lasted two and a half months.
Remarkably, the Choir's Glorious Cross remained unscathed by the fire, standing tall as a symbol of resilience in the church. The Elysee now regards the Cross as a representation of resistance in the face of adversity.
