France presented the brilliantly restored interior of Notre Dame Cathedral to the world on Friday, just over a week before the 850-year-old medieval building reopens following meticulous restoration following the devastating 2019 fire.
President Emmanuel Macron conducted an inspection of the restoration work, broadcast live on television, and said workers had done the “impossible” by healing a “national wound” after the fire on April 19, 2019.
While every effort has been made to remain faithful to the original look of the cathedral, an international team of designers and architects have created a luminous space that has an immediate impact on the visitor.
The floor shimmers and the freshly cleaned walls shine, while a subtle combination of natural and artificial light creates an almost theatrical impression.
“You have achieved what was thought impossible,” Macron told the restoration workers and officials who packed Notre Dame after his tour of the cathedral.
“The fire at Notre Dame was a national wound, and you have remedied it through will, work and commitment,” he said, adding that the cathedral’s reopening will be a “shock of hope.”
After some demanding restoration work, Notre Dame will welcome visitors and believers again on the weekend of December 7th and 8th.
World leaders are expected to attend, but the guest list has yet to be announced.
Macron toured the main areas of the cathedral, including the nave, choir and chapel, and spoke to experts.
“Sublime,” said a visibly pleased Macron, who was accompanied by Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich as well as the French culture minister, the Paris mayor and other officials.
“It's much more welcoming,” he added, praising Notre Dame's bright stones and saying everyone involved in the rebuilding should “be proud.”
– 'Insane Challenge' –
After the devastating fire, Macron set the ambitious goal of rebuilding Notre Dame within five years and making it “even more beautiful” than before – a goal that French authorities say has been achieved.
The “construction site of the century” is a “challenge that many thought was crazy,” said Macron.
Around 250 companies and hundreds of experts were hired for renovation work worth hundreds of millions of euros.
All 2,000 people who contributed to this campaign were invited to Friday's event.
The restoration cost a total of almost 700 million euros (more than 750 million US dollars in today's money).
It was financed from the 846 million euros in donations received from 150 countries in a sign of solidarity.
The 19th-century Gothic tower, which collapsed dramatically in the fire, has been resurrected with an exact copy of the original.
The stained windows have regained their color, the walls shine after fire stains were removed, and a restored organ is ready to thunder again.
Invisible to visitors is a new mechanism to protect against future fires, a discreet pipe system that can release water in the event of a new disaster.
According to church authorities, Notre Dame, which welcomed 12 million visitors in 2017, expects an even higher number of 14 to 15 million after reopening.
French ministers have also floated the idea of charging tourists an entry fee to the site, but the Paris diocese has said free entry is an important principle to maintain.
– Reopening celebration –
Macron had hoped to speak at Notre Dame's reopening on December 7, but after negotiations with the diocese he will now only speak in the forecourt.
According to the constitution, France is a secular country with a strict separation between church and state.
On Sunday, December 8th, the first mass and the consecration of the new altar will take place.
Macron said in December 2023 that he had invited Pope Francis to the cathedral's reopening, but the head of the Catholic Church announced in September that he would not come, to the surprise of some observers.
Instead, the pope makes a groundbreaking visit to the French island of Corsica the following weekend.
The French Catholic Church has been rocked in recent years by a series of sexual abuse allegations against clergy, including most recently against the monk Abbe Pierre, who became known for his help to those in need.
More than five years later, the investigation into the cause of the fire continues. Initial results suggest an accidental cause such as a short circuit, a welding torch or a cigarette.