Five years after a devastating fire, the restoration of Notre-Dame cathedral is about to conclude when the eyes of the world turn to Paris on the occasion of the Olympic Games.
The On the afternoon of April 15, 2019, the roof of the cathedral was consumed by flames, which quickly engulfed the spire and almost brought down the main bell towers. Around the world, television viewers watched in horror as the medieval building burned.
The reconstruction of Notre Dame
Macronwhose second and final term ends in 2027, wants the restoration of the cathedral Raise the nation’s spirits and your government’s approval ratings. “Only once in a century are Olympic and Paralympic Games organized, only once in a millennium is a cathedral rebuilt”Macron said in his 2024 New Year’s speech.
Still It is unclear what exactly caused the fire. The French authorities they said that a electrical failure or a lit cigarette They may have been responsible.
“A firefighter told me: ‘Sir, take a good look at the façade because if we don’t manage to put out that fire, everything will be ruined.'”recalled Patrick Chauvet, the former senior pastor of Notre-Dame.
The facade resisted, but the damage required five years of intense stabilization and restoration works. The pride of those working on the project shines with its own light. “It is the work of my life, because restoring an entire monument in all its three-dimensionality is something exceptional,” declared Emma Roux, an artisan who works on the iconic stained glass windows.
When will the opening of Notre Dame Cathedral be?
The reopening is scheduled for Decemberand at the moment the schedule is being met, according to the official who directs the project. “We are on time and on budget,” declared Philippe Jost last month in an appearance before the Senate.
Jost explained to lawmakers that The project had so far cost 550 million euros (587 million dollars), funded in part by massive donationss, including those of luxury billionaires François Henri Pinault and the Arnault family. So much money was donated that there will even be funds left over for new investments in the building, he said.
“If our patrons approve it, they will be used to restore the cathedral and resolve the problems before the firewhich mainly affect the exterior masonry,” Jost added.
Jost, 63, an engineer by training who spent much of his career in Ministry of Defence, He took office after his predecessor, General Jean-Louis Georgelin, died in a hiking accident in August 2023.
Source: Ambito
