Sixteen bronze statues briefly took to the skies over Paris after they were removed from the Notre-Dame cathedral to undergo restoration work, reports FRANCE 24.
Tourists at the world-famous landmark were left stunned on Thursday as the statues – representing the 12 apostles and the four evangelists from the New Testament – were lifted off the spire of the cathedral by crane.
"What's unique is that it's the first time we've seen them up close since they were set up by Viollet-le-Duc in the 1860s," Marie-Hélène Didier, who is in charge of the renovation work, told AFP.
"It's an exceptional event because we've brought the 16 statues down in a single day. It's a magical moment for everyone," she said.
Built between the years 1163 and 1345, Notre-Dame is one of the most popular tourist sites in Paris, drawing around 13 million people every year.
Its spire, like the rest of the Gothic edifice, is undergoing a 11-million-euro ($12.4-million) overhaul financed by the French state to repair damage inflicted by time, pollution and the weather.