The Paris Notre Dame Cathedral, which suffered a devastating fire in 2019, is planned to reopen for visitors and masses at the end of 2024, Euronews informs. This means that the cathedral will not be completely restored until the Summer Olympic Games, which will take place in Paris in the summer of 2024.
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Immediately after the fire, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that the restoration of the cathedral should be completed by December 2024. At the moment, the restoration is going according to plan, but the responsible officials emphasize that they will do everything to open the cathedral on time.
Minister of Culture Rima Abdul-Malaka said that although the cathedral will be opened to visitors, it does not mean that all restoration work will be completed. She added that some restoration work will still take place in 2025.
Restoration of the cathedral
The cathedral is one of the symbols of Paris, which is why its restoration is so important. The complex reconstruction process began in 2022 after more than two years of preparatory work.
The government decided that the Gothic cathedral built in the 12th century should be restored according to its historical appearance. This means that the 96-meter high tower, built in the 19th century, will also be restored.
The legendary tower and the central part of the cathedral, which collapsed during the fire, are planned to be restored already this year, which will become a symbol of the revival of the building. “In my opinion, the return of the spire to the Paris sky will become a symbol that we will win this battle,” said General Georgelin, who is in charge of restoring the cathedral.
About a thousand people are working to restore this pearl of Gothic architecture. “A lot of different work needs to be done: the restoration of paintings, vaults and stained glass, as well as the reconstruction of the facade itself and countless other works,” explains Georgelin.
New exhibition
On March 7, the free exhibition “Notre-Dame de Paris: at the heart of the construction site” was opened in Paris. It honors the hundreds of artisans working on the restoration of the cathedral.
The exhibition is located in an underground space directly opposite the cathedral, where you can see the ongoing restoration work, as well as the skills and knowledge of the craftsmen. The exhibition also includes some works of art that were saved from the fire.
