OAN Staff James Myers
2:16pm – Friday, November 29, 2024
The newly renovated interior of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France has been unveiled for the first time since reconstruction began more than five years ago.
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The historic building opened its doors to French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday, unveiling a brand new design that pays homage to the original architecture, which was destroyed in a tragic 2019 fire.
President Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron were given a tour of the Gothic cathedral ahead of its official reopening next month.
During a two-hour televised walk-through, President Macron appeared impressed by the light streaming into the nave after the cathedral's new windows and clean white stone.
“This is overwhelming,” he said during a major tour with several government officials.
In addition, President Macron was also invited to the rooftop to inspect new wooden beams that had to be replaced after the old ones were destroyed in the fire.
The huge pieces of wood were collected from all over France and recycled from oak trees.
Mr Macron was also seen shaking hands with many of the skilled artisans who took part in the restoration project.
In 2019, the world watched in horror as flames tore through the 860-year-old masterpiece, reducing the roof to ash, the central flame collapsing, and the towering spire toppling.
In the aftermath of the fire, donors, including a billionaire French businessman, pledged nearly $1 billion to restore the structure, said restoration director Philippe Jost.
The fire accidentally started under the roof of the cathedral, causing the church's spire to collapse.
However, firefighters were ultimately able to save the building's structural integrity and many valuable artifacts.
Meanwhile, the restoration project took more than five years and included restoring the cathedral's stained glass windows, roof and distinctive flying buttresses.
Additionally, the cathedral's spire and carved stone gargoyles have been restored to its past glory.
“This has been an extraordinary renovation project,” said stone sculptor Samir Abbas as he awaited Macron's arrival.
Although the interior of the cathedral is currently empty, Notre-Dame Cathedral will eventually be filled with new, specially designed furniture by the time it reopens in December.
The cathedral still has three original windows that were unaffected by the fire. The windows all date back to the 13th century.th-century.
14thA century-old statue of the Virgin and Child was also rescued from the fire and is now housed in the newly restored Masterpiece Church.
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