After more than five years of frenetic reconstruction work, Notre-Dame Cathedral took on a new look Friday, erasing the dark memories of 2019’s devastating fire with a towering rebuilt ceiling and creamy, like-new stonework. was unveiled to the world.
Live footage of French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to the site shows the interior of the iconic cathedral, as worshipers would have experienced it in the Middle Ages, with its wide, open spaces… Bright lights filled the cathedral on a crisp, sunny winter day. Brightly colored stained glass.
Outside, the monument is still a construction site, with scaffolding and cranes in place. But the renovated interior was revealed in all its glory for the first time on Friday, ahead of its public opening on December 8th, and it turns out to be breathtaking.
The large hole the flames had made in the vaulted ceiling was extinguished, leaving behind a pile of charred rubble. New stonework was carefully erected to repair and fill in the damage that had left the interior of the cathedral exposed to the elements. A delicate golden angel rises once more over the transept, gazing out from the center of the rebuilt ceiling.
The cathedral’s bright cream-colored limestone walls look brand new, having been cleared of dust from fires as well as centuries of dirt and grime.
The cathedral was forced to close due to a fire on April 15, 2019, and millions of people lost their lives every year until the monument in central Paris became a no-go zone, except for craftsmen, architects and others mobilized to rebuild. It attracted many admirers and visitors.
Macron entered through the cathedral’s huge, intricately carved facade and looked up at the ceiling in amazement. He was accompanied by his wife Brigitte and the Archbishop of Paris.
Powerful vacuum cleaners were first used to remove toxic dust released when the cathedral’s lead roof melted in the fire.
A fine layer of latex was then sprayed onto the surface and removed after a few days to remove stains. A cleaning gel was also used on some of the painted walls to remove dirt that had accumulated over the years and reveal the bright color again.
Like medieval craftsmen, the carpenters cut huge oak beams by hand and rebuilt the roofs and spiers that had fallen into hell like flaming spears. There are traces of the carpenter’s handiwork on the beams, including dents made in the bare wood by a hatchet.
Approximately 2,000 oak trees were cut down to rebuild the roof framework, so dense and intricate that it is called a “forest.”
President Macron’s visit marked the beginning of a series of events that heralded the reopening of the 12th-century Gothic masterpiece.
President Macron will return to the country on December 7, deliver a speech and attend the dedication of the new altar at a solemn mass the next day.
Macron’s government has hailed the reconstruction as a symbol of national unity and what France can do.
