The baptistery of Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral, designed by French artist and designer Guillaume Bardet, in Paris on November 29, 2024. Photo: AFP
French President Emmanuel Macron praised on Friday (local time) the more than 1000 craftspeople who helped rebuild Paris' Notre-Dame Cathedral in what he called "the project of the century", five-and-a-half-years after fire gutted the Gothic masterpiece.
The 12th-century cathedral, one of the French capital's most beloved and visited monuments, will reopen its doors next week to tourists and to the Catholic faithful.
Notre Dame is one of Paris' most beloved monuments. Photo: CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON / AFP
"Never before have we seen such a construction site. You all had your share in the project of the century," Macron told a gathering that included carpenters, stonemasons, art restorers, firefighters and donors.
"The burning of Notre-Dame was a national wound and you were its remedy, (restoring it) through determination, hard work and commitment."
The workers, who include members of the elite 'Compagnons du Devoir', a centuries-old guild of artisans considered France's finest, burst into joyful applause when Macron concluded his address with a final 'thank you'.
The reconstruction work restored the cathedral's spire, its rib vaulting, flying buttresses, stained-glass windows and carved stone gargoyles to their past glory, with the white stone and gold decorations shining brighter than ever.
Attendees including workers of reconstruction of Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral gather during a speech by French President Emmanuel Macron (C) in the nave of the cathedral in Paris. Photo: CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON / AFP
It is a far cry from the evening of 15 April, 2019, when TV viewers in France and worldwide watched with horror as the cathedral's roof and spire burst into flames and collapsed in a raging fire that also threatened the main bell towers, which narrowly avoided destruction.
On his visit to the site, Macron seemed deeply impressed as light poured into the nave through the renewed windows.
"This is overwhelming," he said as he toured the cathedral with his wife Brigitte, Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo and other senior officials.
Photo: AFP / Christophe Petit Tesson
'Exceptional'
"It was an exceptional renovation project," stone-carver Samir Abbas, 38, told Reuters, relieved at having finished on schedule.
An opening ceremony - to which celebrities and heads of state have been invited - is planned for the evening of 7 December, followed by days of special Masses to celebrate the reopening and to thank those who helped save and rebuild the cathedral.
So much money poured in for the renovation from all over the world - more than €840 million euros (NZ$1.5b), according to Macron's office - that there are still funds left over for further investment in the building.
(COMBO) This combination of pictures created on November 29, 2024 shows the choir stalls of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris on 26 June, 2018 (TOP) and on 29 November, 2024 (BOTTOM). Photo: LUDOVIC MARIN / AFP
The Catholic Church now expects the cathedral to welcome some 15 million visitors annually.
"We are very eager to welcome the whole world under the roof of our cathedral," Paris' Archbishop Laurent Ulrich said in a message on the cathedral website, expressing the Church's gratitude to all those who helped save it.
"On the night of April 15, hundreds of thousands of people committed themselves to what then seemed an impossible bet: to restore the cathedral and give it back its splendour within the unprecedented deadline of five years."
The guest-list for the reopening ceremony has not yet been published, but one source familiar with the planning said US President Joe Biden's wife Jill would come, while President-elect Donald Trump had not yet confirmed his attendance.
This photograph shows the tabernacle designed by French artist and designer Guillaume Bardet, in the heart of Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral in Paris, on 29 November, 2024. Photo: STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN / AFP
Parisians expressed excitement and relief at the prospect of the cathedral reopening.
"I'm so happy," said 50-year-old architect Sebastien Truchot, who lives nearby. "Whether you believe in God or not, Notre-Dame is a universal symbol, and it's amazing to have it back and to rediscover it."
Albert Abid, a bookseller whose stall stands on the quay, was shocked to see it burn five years ago. "It's a relief. Finally, Notre Dame is restored," he said.
-Reuters
