A shocking news broke out on 15 April 2019, It was, "Notre-Dame is on Fire".
A huge fire devastated the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, a building that's been around for 850 years. The world was shocked as they watched this historic cathedral, famous from Victor Hugo's book "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame," burning in flames.
The Notre Dame, standing at the heart of Paris, hold a significant place for French Catholics, especially during Holy Week, a time when Christians worldwide commemorate the death and resurrection of Jesus.
The fire destroyed its wooden roof and famous spire, however, many precious items inside were saved by the firefighters including the stone structure and its bell towers. Firefighters worked to prevent further damage and carefully removed and placed artworks from the cathedral in safe storage. Fortunately, there was only one reported casualty, a seriously injured firefighter.
Soon, French President Emmanuel Macron announced France's commitment to launching a campaign to rebuild Notre-Dame Cathedral, which will involve fundraising efforts and calling upon talents from around the world to contribute to the restoration efforts.
“We will rebuild it together. It will undoubtedly be part of French destiny and our project for the years to come,” a visibly moved Mr. Macron said.
The Road to Restoration
It has been 5 years..
After the fire in 2019, the first two years were spent making the building safe, doing studies for the restoration, and hiring contractors. During the safety phase, they protected the gargoyles, strengthened parts of the building like the flying buttresses and gables, and took down damaged scaffolding.
The actual restoration work started in September 2021. Lately, the focus has been on restoring the roof framework, spire, and upper galleries of Notre Dame. Recently, a competition was announced for contemporary artists to recreate six stained glass windows on the southern side of the cathedral, aiming to bring a modern touch to the 21st century.
In December 2023, tourists and Parisians gathered outside Notre Dame Cathedral to see its iconic carhedral slowly returning, though still hidden by scaffolding. The construction site buzzed with nearly 500 craftspeople working hard to prepare the cathedral for its reopening to the public, scheduled for less than a year later.
Following this, President Macron announced the opening of a new museum dedicated to Notre Dame, which will house the old rooster and the six stained glass windows set to be replaced. Initially, Macron promised full restoration by the time of the Olympics, but due to various challenges, the timeline was pushed back.
In February of this year, the monument reached a significant milestone as the scaffolding was removed from around its spire. Authorities assure that the spire, which is coated in lead, will be completely visible by the start of the Paris Summer Olympics in July. The use of lead has sparked debates due to its potential toxicity.
Five years following the devastating fire, Notre-Dame Cathedral has been restored to its former glory, according to participants in a recent visit to the monument. Visitors remarked that the cathedral's interior is now the most luminous it has been in living memory. Ongoing reconstruction efforts are progressing well and are expected to meet the December deadline for reopening, as stated by the head of the reconstruction project last month.
The reopening, scheduled for December, is currently progressing according to plan, as confirmed by the project's lead official.
It is estimated that restoration of Notre Dame will cost about 700 million euros, or $767 million. It was partially funded by significant donations, including those from billionaires in the luxury sector like Francois Henri Pinault and the Arnault family, totaling 846 million euros ($928 million) raised from 340,000 donors in 150 countries. Exceeding expectations in generosity, these donations have left extra money for future building improvements.
Overall, The facade survived, but five years of intensive stabilization and restoration work were required to repair the damage. so, it is worth remembering the efforts and committment of everyone working on the restoration of the Cathedrale.
Photo Credit: Multiple Sources
(Inputs from Reuters/CNN)
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