2023-09-07 10:29:38
Debris of statues, metal or terracotta objects, beams eaten away by the flames… Amidst the rubble, hundreds of items were identified and listed, the first 15 days of August, on the occasion of a clearing campaign under the aegis of Inrap on the site of the church of Drosnay (Marne). “We made an inventory for the reconstruction. We carried out surveys, photographed with drones and drew the church in its current state,” explains Stéphane Sindonino, deputy director at Inrap Grand Est.
The volume of recovered parts is equivalent to three to four semi-trailers, most of which are stored in the premises of the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs (Drac). “You have to imagine that the partly calcined oak beams could be recut. They were numbered and stored. These woods dating from the 16th century have historical value and could be used to restore the building. »
“The reconstruction budget will be high”
Gone up in smoke on July 7, 2023 due to a big fire that started at the level of the electrical box, this medieval church leaves a big void behind it for the parishioners but also for local tourism. Only the stone porch remained standing facing the flames. “It was part of the circuit of 13 half-timbered churches in the Pays du Lac du Der, we hope that its identical reconstruction will be possible. It is the dream that we all cherish, ”slips Anne-Marie Vermeulen, president of the association for the protection of the Church.
Drosnay, this small village of 214 souls, however, risks being very helpless in the face of the magnitude of the task. “It’s in such a state of rubble, the church was pulverized. So we suspect that the reconstruction budget will be very high”. The municipality relies on the help of the Heritage Foundation but also on donations from individuals to create events to raise funds. An online kitty has already raised 3,000 euros. But the time is not yet for reconstruction. A first symbolic event will be held on September 30. “On this date, a mass was to be held in the village church, it was on the long-time schedule. And it is important that we maintain it for the life of the Parish”. A time of prayer had already taken place on July 9, in the presence of the Bishop of Châlons-en-Champagne.
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