See First Images Of Notre Dame Cathedral’s Restored Interior, 5 Years After Devastating Fire
“This is overwhelming,” French President Emmanuel Macron said as he toured the site and viewed the glistening, cleaned white stones.
Five years after a fire tore through Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, the results of intensive and painstaking renovation work on the building were revealed ahead of its reopening on Dec. 8.
French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, toured the site, with video of their visit broadcast live. “This is overwhelming,” he said as he viewed the glistening, cleaned white stones, Reuters reported.
Macron thanked those around the world who donated to the restoration efforts, the craftspeople who worked on the cathedral and the firefighters who “saved this cathedral.”
“The blaze at Notre Dame was a national wound and you were the remedy, through your determination, hard work and commitment,” he said.
About 1,300 workers waited outside the cathedral for Macron’s arrival, with some expressing relief that the project finished on schedule.
“It was an exceptional renovation project,” said stone carver Samir Abbas, 38.
The project involved craftspeople from around the world who painstakingly re-created the tools the original builders used so they could build the cathedral back exactly the way it was when it opened in 1345.
“We’re using a mix of 13th-century tools such as the broad axes or dog walk — to finish all the surfaces, we’re using chisels and saws, mallets,” American carpenter Hank Silver told NBC News in April. “Everything is finished by hand so that the result is an almost identical replica of the Gothic frame that was there.”
France and the world watched in horror on April 15, 2019, as a fire that started in the roof space engulfed the structure in flames. Nearly 400 firefighters worked for nine hours to try to preserve the facade and works of art in the cathedral.
The next day, Macron vowed to have the reconstruction work done in five years — a goal many thought was challenging at the time.
The cathedral has received about $882 million in donations from around the world for the reconstruction efforts and there is still some money left over for more investment, according to Macron’s office.
Heads of state, royalty and celebrities have been invited to a reopening ceremony on Dec. 7. First lady Jill Biden is expected to attend. President-elect Donald Trump hasn’t yet responded to the invitation, Reuters reported.
The cathedral will reopen to the public Dec. 8. Visitors will be able to make reservations via the cathedral’s website up to two days in advance, or there will be a queue for people without reservations.
See more pictures of the restoration below:
