Notre Dame Cathedral restores its 8 bells before its reopening

Paris., Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral has restored its eight bells to the north tower, a new stage before its reopening in December.

Following a blessing and three tollings by the rector of the cathedral, Olivier Ribadeau Dumas, the enormous bells, which survived the fire of April 15, 2019, were hoisted in front of authorities and curious onlookers.

The reinstallation in the bell tower will be completed in three weeks.

The eight bells have names that honour the memory of personalities linked to the history of the cathedral.

The largest is called “Gabriel” and weighs more than four tons, while the smallest is “Jean-Marie”, weighing approximately 800 kg, named in honor of Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger, Archbishop of Paris between 1981 and 2005.

“These bells announce the return to life of Notre Dame,” said the rector.

“They are the voice of Notre Dame. They are the chimes that Parisians can hear every day,” added Philippe Jost, president of the public body in charge of the reconstruction.

Following the fire, the bells were lowered in July 2023 to allow for the restoration of the cathedral’s north tower. The instruments were cleaned and inspected in a foundry in Normandy.

The bells will be connected to an automatic motorized system, and will ring again when masses resume at the temple in early December.

Three more new, smaller bells will be installed in the nave of the cathedral.

Notre Dame has undergone a major renovation, both internally and externally, which has included the complete reconstruction of its roof, the cleaning of its walls and columns, the repair of its decorative paintings and its organ, and the installation of new furniture, in preparation for its reopening on 7 December.