On April 15th, 2019, a devastating fire broke out in the framework of Paris’ famed Notre Dame Cathedral. The spread of the blaze collapsed its iconic 19th-century spire, and damaged stained glass windows, paintings, and tapestries. After years of intensive restoration, the historic landmark is set to reopen in the next few days.
In celebration, President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, took a tour.
Notre Dame Cathedral
During the tour, Macron marveled at the clean stone ceilings that are now free from soot and centuries of dirt. To be fair keeping a huge, highly trafficked building clean for 800 years is not an easy undertaking. Notre Dame’s roof took 1,500 trees to build the new frame, giving it the nickname “the forest.”
The famed spire has been restored alongside three bells, one of which was rung during the Olympics. At least 1,300 stones were used to restore damaged walls and vaults. 8,000 pipes for the cathedral’s grand organ were also removed, cleaned, and restored.
Macron referred to the fire as a “national wound” and called Notre Dame the “soul of our country.” He also thanked the over 1,2000 people who worked tirelessly on the restoration and applauded the 340,000 financial donors who contributed almost $1 billion to the project.
Notre Dame is considered a World Heritage site, drawing in more than 13 million visitors annually. The church will re-open its doors to visitors on December 7th, 2024. You can check out the gorgeous images of the restoration work here.
