Notre Dame rises from the ashes: Macron unveils cathedral’s triumphant comeback from 2019 inferno

Eight days before the cathedral reopened on December 7, Macron carried out an inspection, broadcast live on television, that provided the first official look at what the 850-year-old edifice looks like from the inside now.

Macron, who looked happy, said, “Wonderful,” and he was accompanied by the Archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich, the Minister of Culture, the Mayor of Paris, and other officials.

“It’s more welcoming,” he added, praising the pale stones of Notre Dame and saying everyone involved in the reconstruction should “feel proud.”

Macron, accompanied by his wife Brigitte, toured the main areas of the cathedral, including the nave, choir and chapel, and spoke to experts.

Notre Dame will welcome visitors and worshipers back over the weekend of December 7-8, following a sometimes difficult restoration to return the majestic Paris Cathedral to its former glory after it was severely damaged by fire on April 19, 2019.

At that time, Macron set an ambitious goal of rebuilding the masterpiece of Gothic architecture within five years and making it “more beautiful” than before, a goal that the French authorities say has been achieved.

Macron said on the eve of his visit on Friday that the “building site of the century” was “a challenge that many considered crazy.”

The French president hopes that the reopening of Notre Dame will be a big feather in his cap amid the current political stalemate following early parliamentary elections this summer.

World leaders are expected to attend, but the guest list has not yet been revealed.

Expensive restoration

About 250 companies and hundreds of experts were hired for the restoration work, which cost hundreds of millions of euros.

All 2,000 people who have contributed to the effort have been invited to attend Friday’s event, and at least 1,300 of them are expected to attend.

“This last visit to the site is an opportunity to thank them in particular – from wood craftsmen to metal and stone craftsmen, from scaffolders to roofers, from bellmakers to art restorers, from gilders to masons and sculptors, from carpenters to organ makers, Who Macron said: “Architects, archaeologists, engineers and planners perform logistical and administrative functions.”

The restoration cost approximately 700 million euros (more than 750 million dollars at today’s rate).

It was funded by donations worth 846 million euros that flowed from 150 countries in an unprecedented wave of solidarity.

The 19th-century Gothic tower has now been revived in a replica of the original, the stained windows have regained their color, the walls have brightened after fire stains have been cleaned, and the restored organ is ready to go again.

Not only do visitors see a new mechanism to protect against future fires, a secret system of pipes ready to release millions of water drops in the event of a new disaster.

Notre Dame, which received 12 million visitors in 2017, expects to receive a higher number of 14 to 15 million after reopening, according to church authorities.

French ministers have also floated the idea of ​​charging tourists an entrance fee to the site, but the Archdiocese of Paris said free entry was an important principle that must be maintained.

Stephane de Sacutin/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Re-opening ceremony

Macron had hoped to speak inside Notre Dame on the occasion of the reopening, but after negotiations with the diocese, he is now scheduled to speak only in the front courtyard.

Under its constitution, France is a secular state with a strict separation of church and state.

The next day, Sunday, December 8, will witness the first Mass and the dedication of the new altar.

Macron said in December 2023 that he called on Pope Francis to reopen the cathedral, but the head of the Catholic Church announced in September, which surprised some observers, that he would not attend.

Instead, the Pope will make a historic visit over the following weekend to the French island of Corsica.

The French Catholic Church has been rocked in recent years by a series of sexual abuse allegations against clergy, including the monk known as Abbé Pierre, who has become a household name for providing assistance to the needy.

More than five years later, the investigation into the cause of the fire is still ongoing, with preliminary findings supporting an accidental cause such as an electrical short, a welding torch or a cigarette.