Paris and the world get their first look at Notre Dame after the fire

Eight days before the cathedral reopened on December 7, President Emmanuel Macron conducted an inspection that was broadcast live on television and gave the first official glimpse of what is now the 850-year-old building’s interior.

“Even more beautiful than before, in the new splendor of the blonde stones and the color of the chapels,” Macron said in a statement released to the media on the eve of the visit.

The “construction site of the century” was a “challenge that many thought was crazy,” the president added.

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Notre Dame will welcome visitors and worshipers again over the weekend of December 7th-8th, after the great Paris cathedral, which was badly damaged by the fire on April 19th, 2019, is set to be restored to its former glory following some demanding restoration work.

At the time, Macron had set himself the ambitious goal of rebuilding Notre Dame within five years and making it “even more beautiful” than before, a goal that French authorities said was achieved. The French president hopes for a successful opening of Notre Dame. Given the current political stalemate after early parliamentary elections this summer, this is an important trump card. World leaders are expected to join, but the guest list has yet to be announced.

Around 250 companies and hundreds of experts were mobilized for a renovation costing hundreds of millions of euros on the so-called “construction site of the century”.

All 2,000 people who contributed to the work have been invited to Friday’s event, with at least 1,300 expected.

“This final site visit is an opportunity to thank them especially – from wood craftsmen to metal and stone craftsmen, from scaffolders to roofers, from bell makers to art restorers, from gilders to bricklayers and sculptors, from carpenters to organ builders , from architects, archaeologists, engineers and planners to logistical and administrative functions,” Macron said before the visit.

Accompanied by his wife Brigitte, Macron was expected from 10:30 a.m. (09:30 GMT) to inspect key areas of the cathedral, including the nave, choir and chapel, and to personally discuss the restoration with workers.

The restoration cost a total of almost 700 million euros (more than 750 million US dollars in today’s money).

It was financed from the 846 million euros in donations that arrived in an unprecedented wave of solidarity from 150 countries.

– Grand reopening expected –

The 19th-century Gothic tower has now been brought back to life with an exact copy of the original, the stained windows have regained their color, the walls shine after being cleaned of fire stains and a restored organ is ready to thunder again.

Invisible to visitors is a new mechanism to protect against future fires, a discreet pipe system that can release millions of water droplets in the event of a new disaster.

Notre Dame, which welcomed 12 million visitors in 2017, expects an even higher number of “14 to 15 million” after reopening, according to church authorities.

French ministers have also floated the idea of ​​charging tourists an entry fee to the site, but the Paris diocese has said free entry is an important principle to maintain.

Macron had hoped to speak inside Notre Dame on the occasion of its reopening, but after negotiations with the diocese it was planned that he would now only speak in the forecourt.

According to the constitution, France is a secular country with a strict separation between church and state.

The next day, Sunday, December 8th, the first mass and the consecration of the new altar will take place.

Macron said in December 2023 that he had invited Pope Francis to the cathedral’s reopening, but the head of the Catholic Church announced in September that he would not come, to the surprise of some observers.

Instead, the Pope will pay a landmark visit to the French island of Corsica the following weekend.

The French Catholic Church has been rocked in recent years by a series of sexual abuse allegations against clergy, including most recently against the monk Abbe Pierre, who became known for his help to those in need.

More than five years later, the investigation into the cause of the fire continues. Initial findings point to an accidental cause such as a short circuit, a welding torch or a cigarette.