Europe

In photos: the impressive restoration of Notre Dame five years after the fire

December 7, 2024
1 Min Read
Firefighters, rescuers and builders involved in the restoration walk around the ship in front of attendees, including world leaders and dignitaries.

() – The Resurrection of Notre Dame—the precious gothic jewel in the heart of Paris, affected by a devastating fire in 2019—has been a well-kept secret. Few had seen the meticulous work of architects, craftsmen and master artists who managed to bring the cathedral back to life. Until now.

On November 29, the world got its first glimpses of the renovated UNESCO World Heritage site, as French President Emmanuel Macron made his final visit to the venue ahead of its grand reopening this Saturday.

Many will remember watching in horror five years ago as bright orange flames consumed the 860 year old gothic cathedral, whose famous spire collapsed before the Paris skyline.

At the time, Macron promised that the beloved building would be restored and set an ambitious five-year deadline. Exactly 2,055 days later, the seemingly impossible has been achieved and the €700 million ($737 million) restoration is complete.

This Saturday, Macron welcomed world leaders to Paris for a spectacular reopening ceremony. Thousands of craftsmen, engineers and carpenters came together to resurrect Notre Dame. The limestone walls have been methodically cleaned, while numerous other architectural elements and centuries-old relics have been meticulously restored.

Spectators gather outside Notre Dame as it lights up with the words
Shortly after sunset, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, left, French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron stand in the renovated atrium as Paris Archbishop Monsignor Laurent Ulrich leads a procession of archbishops, bishops and priests towards the doors of the cathedral at the beginning of the ceremony.
The choir, clergy and congregation stand to sing during the grand reopening ceremony of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris this Saturday.
A bronze tabernacle can be seen on the altar of the architect Viollet-le-Duc and on the statues that make up the vow of Louis XIII. (Photo: Stéphane de Sakutin/AFP/Getty Images).
Notre Dame Cathedral will reopen in early December 2024, with a weekend of ceremonies planned for December 7-8. (Photo: Stephane de Sakutin/AFP/Getty Images).
President Emmanuel Macron meets with Marie Parant, who restored the murals in the St. Marcel chapel inside the building. Twenty-nine chapels surround the interior of the cathedral. They were not part of the original plans for the space, but were added in the 13th century. (Photo: Christophe Petit Tesson/AFP/Getty Images).
A detailed view of the interior of Notre Dame Cathedral. (Photo: Stéphane de Sakutin/AFP/Getty Images).
Macron gives a speech during the visit to Notre Dame. “They turned the ashes into art,” he told the crowd, which included more than 1,300 people who worked on the restoration. (Photo: Sarah Meyssonnier/AFP/Getty Images).
The Crown of Thorns inside its new reliquary designed by French artist Sylvain Dubuisson. (Photo: Stéphane de Sakutin/AFP/Getty Images).
The choir chairs at Notre Dame on November 29. (Photo: Stéphane de Sakutin/AFP/Getty Images).
The statue of the Virgin of Paris, also known as the “Virgin of the Pillar,” was first sculpted in the 14th century and arrived at Notre Dame in the 19th century. She was found the day after the 2019 fire with a pile of stones and wood at her feet. (Photo: Stéphane de Sakutin/AFP/Getty Images).
This photograph shows part of a bas-relief outside Notre Dame Cathedral. (Photo: Stéphane de Sakutin/AFP/Getty Images).
Macron's first stop on a visit to the renovated Notre Dame Cathedral is the cathedral's outer courtyard. The restoration work is not yet finished, as the redevelopment of the surrounding area will not begin until next year and will be completed in 2030. (Photo: Stéphane de Sakutin/Reuters).
Pedestrians stop and look at the Notre Dame Cathedral on Nov. 28 before its reopening. (Photo: Thomas Hubert/SIPA/Shutterstock).
Workers operate on scaffolding around the wooden structure of the new spire of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris in July 2024. This spire was rebuilt to be identical to the original one that was destroyed in the 2019 fire. ( Photo: Joel Saget/AFP/Getty Images).
A technician works at the reconstruction site in July 2022. (Photo: Geoffroy Van der Hasselt/Pool/AFP/Getty Images).
An aerial view shows widespread damage to the cathedral in April 2019. Before the fire, the roof was nicknamed “the forest” because it was made from oak trees from across France. It was the epicenter of the fire before it collapsed, according to the French government. (Photo: Gigarama.ru/AP).
The steeple and spire collapse as the roof of Notre Dame burns. (Photo: Geoffroy Van Der Hasselt/AFP/Getty Images).
People watch as smoke and flames rise during the fire at the historic monument in central Paris in April 2019. (Photo: Nicolas Liponne/NurPhoto/Getty Images)

Source link

Tags

Recent Comments

No comments to show.