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On April 15, 2019, a devastating fire tore through Notre-Dame, the result of a spark beneath the Gothic cathedral’s roof. Flames billowed across the 860-year-old structure, collapsing its roof and wooden spire, which was originally erected in 1859. An intensive restoration project that cost more than $760 million is about to pay off nearly six years later. On December 7, the UNESCO world heritage site will finally reopen its doors.
This historic moment will be commemorated with a plethora of cultural and religious ceremonies throughout the next six months. Notre-Dame’s official, invite-only opening will feature an inaugural concert with world-renowned performers, including classical music legends Gautier and Renaud Capuçon, virtuoso pianist Lang Lang, Beninese-French artist Angélique Kidjo, and DJ and composer Michaël Canitrot.
Sunday, December 8, marks the cathedral’s grand opening to the public, during which the site will host its first mass since 2019. During the first eight days of reopening, visiting hours will be limited to accommodate festivities and will subsequently resume with regularity on December 16.
Following its extensive renovation, several aspects of visiting Notre-Dame have been adjusted. As in the past, entry to the cathedral is free, but visitors can now register online for a scheduled entrance time to avoid lines. A new visitor’s circuit has also been implemented, highlighting historic details about the cathedral as well as how the restoration impacted its structure. A dedicated smart-phone app provides further insight into the restoration, and will be available in three languages (English, French, and Spanish, with plans to expand to six in the future).
Though scaffolding is expected to remain around the site until 2028, Notre-Dame’s interior restoration is astounding in its sheer intensity and scale.
“We will see Notre Dame cathedral as we’ve never seen it before,” Olivier Josse, secretary general for the cathedral, told National Geographic.
The cathedral’s walls have been outfitted with stunning limestone walls, while stains from the fire have been meticulously scrubbed away to reveal an airy and almost gleaming atmosphere. Notre-Dame’s black-and-white checkered floors have been polished as well, creating an elegant juxtaposition with the light walls and vibrant stained-glass windows.
The roof, once completely destroyed by the fire, has also received major attention during the renovation, and has been carefully hand-sawn and shaped by axes to mimic its original 13th-century aesthetic. The iconic spire, too, replicates the original design by architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc in 1859.
“Never in its 860-year history has [Notre-Dame] been completely restored. Since its initial construction took 170 years, between the first stone that was laid and the last, the building was already altered and blackened in places … We’ll be able to see the restored building with an exceptional luminosity,” Josse says.
Notre-Dame officials expect 15 million people to visit the cathedral in the coming year, an increase of 3 million since its 2019 figures. To stay updated about its reopening, visit the Notre-Dame website.
Notre-Dame is reopening on December 7, nearly six years after a fire tore through its structure in 2019.
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The reopening will be commemorated with several religious and cultural festivities, including an inaugural concert with world-renowned performers.
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The reopening will be accompanied by a new visitor's circuit, a dedicated app, and a new online portal for scheduling your visit.
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The renovation also showcases Notre-Dame as never before, with its entire structure polished all at once.
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The cathedral's interiors boast stunning limestone walls, a black-and-white checkered floor, and vibrant stained-glass windows, all meticulously scrubbed of stains and soot from the fire.
L'incroyable résurrection de Notre-Dame de Paris. pic.twitter.com/o29GG2hQju
— François d’Estais (@fdestais) November 29, 2024
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Notre-Dame: Website | Facebook
Sources: First look inside rebuilt Notre-Dame as Macron calls its reopening a ‘shock of hope'; Everything you need to know about the reopening of Notre Dame
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