Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral is set to reopen to visitors from December 8, more than five years after an accidental fire destroyed the roof's iconic 12th-century spire and interior. be.
Notre Dame Cathedral, which was visited by more than 12 million people a year before the fire, had not undergone major restoration since the mid-1800s, the nonprofit group said. Friends of Notre Dame de Paris.
Reconstruction began in 2022 after a two-year “safety phase” to make the monument stable enough for workers. The restoration project has raised $1 billion in pledged donations, and as of this month, approximately $148 million remains for future preservation.
Below is a timeline of restorations to restore the 861-year-old Gothic-era landmark to its beauty.
Fire breaks out at Notre Dame Cathedral
On April 15, 2019, flames erupt from the roof of Notre Dame Cathedral in the French capital, causing smoke to rise. (Fabian Barau/AFP via Getty Images)
April 15, 2019: A fire broke out in the upper part of the cathedral, causing extensive damage to the wooden roof, upper walls, and wooden spire. Many of the artworks and religious artifacts were moved to safe locations, but some suffered smoke damage.
Officials said at the time that the exact cause of the fire was unknown, but they believed it may have been caused by an electrical short circuit or a cigarette ignited.
Stained glass windows were spared damage and no one was killed.
April 17, 2019: French President Emmanuel Macron has promised to rebuild the site within five years, the Associated Press reported.
Preparations for reconstruction begin
A carpenter shows off his medieval colleague's skills on the square in front of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France, Saturday, September 19, 2020. (AP Photo/François Mori, File)
April 2019 – August 2021: The first step was the safety phase where experts carried out an assessment to determine the extent of the damage and secure the area to prevent further damage.
A team of scaffolders, rope technicians, aerial vehicle operators and crane operators removed the wooden spire at the top of the building, which weighed 200 tons and dangled more than 300 feet, threatening to collapse on the cathedral. I worked on removing it.
Workers then had to build a scaffolding structure inside to protect the vault and supporting frame.
The $197 million safety phase included installing a tarp over the vault to protect it from rain and lead decontamination, as well as wrapping and protecting the gargoyle. Ta.
June 2020: Although the pandemic halted work for several months, the team is still on track for its five-year timeline.
August 2020: Restoration of 8,000 pipe organs has begun. The artifacts survived the fire, but were covered in toxic lead dust. AP.
Reconstruction of Notre Dame Cathedral begins
A crane lifts part of the new roof of Notre Dame Cathedral on Thursday, May 25, 2023, near Angers in western France. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Schaefer)
Reconstruction began in 2022 once the site was safe enough.
Spring 2022: Glaziers and locksmiths began cleaning and restoring stained glass windows.
August 2023: General Jean-Louis Georgelin, who was appointed to oversee the project, suddenly passed away. President Macron praised him as “the greatest military man.”
December 2023: A golden rooster resembling a phoenix with religious relics was placed atop the cathedral's spire, symbolizing the monument's rebirth. The rooster is both the national emblem of France and a symbol of Christianity.
A cross and a rooster atop the spire of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, Thursday, March 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Michelle Euler)
February 2024: The wooden spire has been completed. “With this achievement, the spire's iconic silhouette once again graces the Paris skyline and offers a glimpse of the cathedral's future grandeur,” the Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris said in a report. . Website.
March 8, 2024: The final trusses were installed on the roof of the nave, the largest central space of the cathedral where worship takes place.
May 24, 2024: The Croix du Chevet has been reinstalled. The only part of the cathedral that did not burn was the symbolic cross, according to the Associated Press.
On Friday, May 24, 2024, in Paris, the Croix du Chevet of Notre Dame Cathedral is lifted before being reinstalled. The Croix du Chevet is the only part of the cathedral's roof that did not burn during the devastating April 2019 fire. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
September 2024: The eight historic bells in the north tower of the cathedral were cleaned, renovated and reinstalled.
November 7, 2024: Three new bells have been delivered, one of which was used at the city's Stade de France stadium during this year's Paris Olympics. They are placed on the altar and sounded during mass.
The bell (center) rung by Olympic medalists at the Paris Games takes notes ahead of the monument's grand reopening after a devastating fire and five years of reconstruction efforts, Thursday, November 7, 2024, in Paris. Seen before it was installed in Ludam Cathedral. . (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
November 15, 2024: The famous statue of the Virgin Mary and child with white flowers on its pedestal has returned to the cathedral after being moved to a nearby church after the fire. To commemorate the event, hundreds of people marched through the streets of Paris holding candles.
On Friday, November 15, 2024, in Paris, a replica of the statue of the Virgin Mary is carried in procession from the Saint-Germain-Auxerrois church to the Notre-Dame Cathedral. (AP Photo/Christoph Ena)
Notre Dame Cathedral reopens
November 29, 2024: President Macron will make his final visit to the cathedral before its reopening. His two-hour tour will be broadcast live on television.
December 8, 2024: Notre-Dame Cathedral reopens to the public for the first time since the fire, and the first mass will be held. This day coincides with the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
