2024-12-07 19:03:00
Paris’ Notre-Dame Cathedral will reopen today, on December 7, 5.5 years after a devastating fire destroyed its roof and spire and caused major damage throughout.
It remains unclear what caused the fire. French authorities have said an electrical fault or a burning cigarette may have been responsible.
For over five years, thousands of expert craftspeople used age-old methods to restore, repair or replace everything that was destroyed or damaged. One of the bells used during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Stade de France athletics venue has also been installed inside the cathedral with two smaller ones to join the bigger bells already in place.
Restoring the historic monument has cost an estimated $737 million, according to Rebuilding Notre Dame de Paris, the public body concerned. Overall, $891 million was raised in donations from 3,40,000 donors in 150 countries, with the extra funds used to restore other monuments.
The re-opening comes as a relief to small business owners around the cathedral. French President Emmanuel Macron was the first to catch a glimpse of the restored historic masterpiece.
The re-opening will be a high-security event since around 50 Heads of State and the Government are expected to attend. President Macron will give a speech in front of the cathedral as part of the reopening festivities, followed by Paris’ Archbishop Laurent Ulrich who will use his crosier to knock on the cathedral’s heavy doors. The US President-elect Donald Trump will also be present.
A medieval Gothic masterpiece, Notre-Dame de Paris (Our Lady of Paris) is one of the French capital’s most beloved and visited monuments.
Ahead of the re-opening, and to mark 60th anniversary of France-China diplomatic ties, the National Museum of China and the body in charge of conserving the French landmark collaborated to host an exhibition in Beijing with four original sculptures from the cathedral.
Notre-Dame Cathedral, Notre-Dame
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