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Notre-Dame opens after five years: A celebration for Paris and the world!
After five years of intensive reconstruction, Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris is reopening its doors. The opening ceremony will take place on Saturday, followed by a first service on Sunday.
Notre-Dame opens after five years: A celebration for Paris and the world!
After over five years of pain and hope, the famous Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris is finally opening its doors again! Next Sunday, this masterpiece of Gothic architecture, severely damaged by a devastating fire in 2019, will reopen to the public after an impressive restoration.
The reopening is not just an architectural event, but an emotional moment for all of France. President Emmanuel Macron, who vowed to restore the cathedral within five years, will attend a ceremony on Saturday that is expected to include scores of heads of state and high-level delegates from around the world. “The inferno of Notre-Dame was a wound for the nation, ... and you were the cure,” Macron said during a visit to the site on November 29.
The devastating flames
On the evening of April 15, 2019, the fire broke out on the roof of the cathedral, turning the historic site into an inferno of blazing flames and thick clouds of smoke. Over 400 firefighters battled the flames for 15 hours, but the damage was enormous. The cathedral's wooden and metal spire collapsed, while the lead roof melted and the ornate wooden beams supporting it burst into flames. Fortunately, no visitors were injured as security forces raised the alarm in time and evacuated the cathedral.
The damage was devastating: the interior and the roof were largely destroyed, and some religious relics were also badly damaged. But the stone vaulted ceiling prevented anything worse from happening by protecting the inner stone walls from the fire. In an emotional speech, Macron promised to restore the cathedral to greater beauty than ever before.
A monumental reconstruction project
The restoration of Notre-Dame was a massive undertaking involving around 2,000 workers. Supported by over 840 million euros in donations collected from wealthy businessmen and countries around the world, the cathedral was rebuilt piece by piece. Craftsmen and architects worked tirelessly to restore the centuries-old structures and restore the facade's ornate details.
The work has not yet been completely completed, but the first successes are visible. The cathedral will reopen on Saturday with a star-studded ceremony attended by US President-elect Donald Trump and Prince William of Britain, among others. “President Macron has done a wonderful job ensuring that Notre Dame is restored to its full glory,” Trump praised in a post.
On Sunday, the cathedral will open with a solemn mass for invited guests, followed by a second mass for the public. The first tickets sold out quickly and people are flocking to be part of this historic moment. Notre-Dame is not just a building - it is a symbol of the unwavering spirit and culture of France.