thousand. The flèche, or Spire of Notre-Dame de Paris, originally built in 1220–1230, was removed in the 17th century, then rebuilt by Eugene Viollet-Le-Duc in the mid-19th century. At high, it was the tallest structure in Paris until the construction of the Eiffel Tower. The spire and much of the roof were destroyed by the Notre-Dame de Paris fire on 15 April 2019 and the cathedral has been closed for restoration ever since. It is expected to re-open in April 2024. The parvis or square in front of the cathedral - now officially known as Place Jean-Paul-II - is long and wide, six times larger than the original medieval square. The area in front of the church was packed with narrow houses and streets until Paris was rebuilt in a more expansive style by Napoleon III and Baron Haussmann in the mid-19th century. Excavations for a car park under the square in 1965 uncovered vestiges of the original Gallo-Roman walls of the city and the Roman baths, dating to the 4th century. They are now open to the public. A plaque on the parvis thirty meters in front of the central portal marks the point from which distances by road to other cities in France are measured. This same area, in medieval times, was the location of the stocks, where notorious prisoners were displayed in chains. The statue of Emperor Charlemagne on horseback, by the river in front of the cathedral, is the largest monument on the Parvis. The bronze sculpture was made in 1878 by the brothers Louis and Charles Rochet in the romantic style. The legendary knights Roland and Olivier are portrayed walking alongside the emperor. Place Louis-Lepine, the Flower Market and the Tribunal of Commerce A large square – Place Louis-Lepine – is located in the center of the island, in front of the Prefecture of Police. It hosts a famous flower market, which was created by an ordinance of Napoleon in January 1808. It occupies the space between Place-Louis Lepine and the Seine. In 2016 the market was renamed the Marché aux fleurs Reine-Elizabeth-II, during the visit of Queen Elizabeth II to Paris. On Sundays, it also becomes a large market for live birds and other pets. The square is the location of the only metro station on the island, with an Art Nouveau portal designed by Hector Guimard. The metro station is unusually deep —