The city of Strasbourg will mark the millennial anniversary of its cathedral on Sept. 7 with the unveiling of a replica representing the medieval period landmark, Deputy Mayor Alain Fontanel said Friday.
"This magnificent piece of craftsmanship represents over 1,000 hours of work," Fontanel told a press conference, noting that 23 people had collaborated to create the model, including architects, historians and stonemasons.
The 1/100th scale model reproduces the hypothetical form of the cathedral after its completion circa 1050, under the Holy Roman Empire. It was conceived and created by craftsmen from the Fondation de l'Oeuvre de Notre-Dame, an association responsible for the restoration and preservation of the UNESCO world heritage-listed building.
Research and conception for the project began in January of this year. Weighing over 100 kgs, the final structure was built from four pieces of Alsatian rose granite and approximately 50,000 miniature wooden tiles.
The model will be on display for one month, before being moved to a side gallery, and finally to the Museum of l'Oeuvre de Notre-Dame in Strasbourg.
This is the first month of celebrations of the cathedral foundations' millennium, which will continue until September 2015. It commemorates the laying of the first stone in the foundation by Bishop Werner 1 in 1015.