The intersection of Notre Dame forms a Latin cross, according to the cathedral’s official website. The transept is the horizontal arm of that cross and is the third stop on Macron’s tour of the reconstructed site today.
There, Macron is meeting with Henry de Reviers, a director of restoration company Lefevre, which was involved in the restoration of the cathedral, along with other companies.
Liturgies take place in the transept, and notably the north rose window still has original 13th-century stained glass.
But, it was an area that was badly damaged in the 2019 inferno. According to Philippe Jost, charged with overseeing the Rebuild Notre Dame project, the destruction of the vault in the transept was one of the “most regrettable” parts of the damage caused. The spire had been directly above that vault, but came crashing into the cathedral when it collapsed.
The great vault at the crossing is the tallest in the cathedral, nearly 35 meters high and on it rests the spire.
Before reconstructing the great vault, France’s National Institute for Preventative Archaeological Research conducted a survey to ensure no artifacts would be damaged. In doing so, they found tombs in the cathedral, according to the Elysee.