To rebuild Notre Dame's fire-ravaged roof, carpenters use centuries-old techniques

Carpenters at the Ateliers Perrault finalize the practice assembly of the charpente, or roof framework of the choir — the part of the cathedral that provides seating for the clergy and choir — on May 25. It extends nearly 50 feet long by 33 feet high. (Cristina Baussan for NPR)

SAINT-LAURENT-DE-LA-PLAINE, France — The wooden structure supporting the roof of Notre Dame Cathedral was so vast, it was known as "the forest." It burned like a forest too. After the April 2019 fire that badly damaged the Paris landmark, nothing was left of the intricate maze of medieval beams but charred black timbers that pierced the nave and transept as they fell to the cathedral floor, leaving a gaping, smoking hole.

Now that charpente, as the framework supporting the roof is called, is being rebuilt as part of the effort to restore and reopen one of the world's most famous churches by the end of 2024.