Scaffolding surrounding the Paris tourist attraction was removed on Tuesday to commemorate a milestone in the restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral.
Scaffolding from the medieval Catholic cathedral has been removed in recent days, revealing the cathedral’s new spire, decorated with a golden rooster and cross, for the first time.
Frederico Bennani, a resident near the cathedral, told The Associated Press that he became emotional when he saw the new spire.
“You can open the window in the morning. You can see Notre Dame Cathedral. You can see the spire. It’s beautiful to me, much better than before,” Bennani said. “It gives us hope.”
This iconic structure was destroyed by fire in April 2019, leaving it in severe disrepair.
The new spire is the latest milestone in the restoration of the cathedral’s former glory.
As a symbol of resilience and rebirth, a new golden rooster reimagined as a phoenix with fiery wings was installed atop the spire in December, marking the cathedral’s rise from the ashes.
Other restoration efforts include installing a fireproof mist system under the cathedral’s roof and recreating the original cross.
Renovations at Notre Dame Cathedral are progressing well and are scheduled to reopen in December 2024.
The cathedral will be closed to the public during the Paris Olympics in July and August, when millions of people flock to Paris for the Summer Olympics.
Much of the cathedral remains surrounded by scaffolding, and removal could take weeks, if not months.
According to cathedral officials, the spire alone was protected by around 70,000 scaffoldings weighing 600 tons.
Once a major tourist attraction, the restoration of this broken monument came after a devastating fire destroyed the building’s main spire.
French President Emmanuel Macron has set a five-year target for the restoration work on Notre Dame Cathedral to be completed, before France hosts the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Estimates for repair costs ranged from about $1.13 billion to $2.3 billion.
