PARIS (AP) – Following over five years of intense restoration work, Notre Dame Cathedral unveiled its new identity to the world on Friday. The soaring ceilings and creamy, like-new stonework erased serious traces of the building’s terrible 2019 fire.
Live footage from French President Emmanuel Macron’s site visit revealed the interior of the famous cathedral as worshippers may have seen it in the Middle Ages, with its expansive, open areas bathed in light on a clear, sunny winter day that accentuated the vivid hues of the stained-glass windows.
New stonework has replaced the gaping breaches that the fire ripped into the vaulted ceilings, leaving behind charred heaps of rubble. From the center of one of the restored ceilings, delicate golden angels watch.
The limestone walls of the cathedral appear like new again, free of years’ worth of grime in addition to the fire’s dust. Prior to the fire, the cathedral welcomed millions of worshippers and tourists each year.
When the fire melted the lead roofing of the cathedral, hazardous dust was first removed with powerful vacuum cleaners. The surfaces were then sprayed with thin coats of latex, which were later removed a few days later, removing the dirt along with them.
The facade of Notre-Dame Cathedral is seen in Paris, Friday Nov., 29 2024 ahead of French President Emmanuel Macron’s final visit to the construction site to see the restored interiors before the iconic monument’s reopening for worship on Dec. 8. (Christophe Petit Tesson, Pool via AP)
Photographer: Christophe Petit Tesson/Associated Press
Macron gazed up at the cathedral’s ceilings in awe after entering via the enormous, finely carved main doors. The archbishop of Paris, his wife Brigitte, and other people were with him.
The reopening of the Gothic masterpiece from the 12th century is marked by a sequence of ceremonies that begin with their visit.
Macron will return on Dec. 7 to give a speech and be present in a solemn Mass the next day to witness the consecration of the new altar.
The rebuilding is being hailed by Macron’s administration as a testament to French resilience and national cohesion.
The Associated Press, 2024. All rights reserved. All rights reserved. It is prohibited to publish, broadcast, rewrite, or redistribute this content without authorization.
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