Emergency work is underway for the thousand-year-old basilica in Reims.

A specialized rope access company will begin work to secure the roof on Tuesday, following an agreement between the municipality of Reims and the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs (DRAC), said the mayor of Reims, Arnaud Robinet (Horizons).

Once this intervention, scheduled to last until June 12, is completed, the basilica will be able to reopen as early as the weekend of June 13-14, he announced on Friday on the forecourt of this Romano-Gothic jewel.

On April 30, the city decided to close the nave area for safety reasons, because the roof had slipped after the "breakage of some of the fasteners that hold part of the building's roof."

Only access to the choir remains permitted to allow for religious services and the reception of visitors. However, some performances have been cancelled.

The emergency safety work, estimated at several hundred thousand euros, will be taken care of by the city of Reims, owner of the historical monument.

They are intervening while a scientific study is underway, conducted by the community and the State, with a view to the total preservation of this church, where the relics of Bishop Saint Remi, who baptized Clovis, King of the Franks, are kept.

This restoration, concerning the roof, part of the facades and the 13th-century stained glass windows, could begin within three years and last a decade, for an amount of more than 60 million euros.

"We're talking about the project of the century," Arnaud Robinet reminded everyone. The mayor of Reims is advocating for an "update" to the allocated budget. "From there, we can determine the state's share, the city of Reims' share, and the extent of the sponsorship we will deploy at the national level," he added.