Notre Dame Cathedral reopened on Saturday, December 7, for the first time since flames destroyed part of the building’s roof and spire in April 2019.
World leaders including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron, Catholic clergy and donors to the 700 million euro ($739.2 million) restoration project , attended the cathedral’s reopening ceremony with 2,000 guests, officiated by Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich. During Saturday night’s service, clergy ceremoniously knocked on the cathedral’s doors, and attendees responded by reciting hymns and then awakening the 8,000-piece organ that had been dismantled and restored after the fire.
Conservators and other staff restored Notre Dame’s iconic Gothic stained-glass windows and focused primarily on repairing the fire-damaged roof. Reports of the restored cathedral say it appears “lighter” and more colorful as smoke damage and dust have been removed, as well as accumulated grime from centuries of use.
During the opening weekend, renowned fashion designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac (the designer of Lady Gaga’s iconic 2009 outfit made entirely of Kermit the Frog stuffed animals) was tasked with dressing 700 priests, ultimately choosing one. A white robe with a shiny golden cross. Green, yellow, blue and red pops.
In 1991, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated Notre Dame a World Heritage Site because of its influential Gothic architecture and its “eight centuries of technical or artistic innovation” that are relevant to French history. connect. Major historical events in France took place here, including the coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte as emperor by Pope Pius VII in 1804.
Some 340,000 donors donated some 900 million euros ($950.3 million) to restore the 12th-century church after the 2019 fire, world the report said. About 45,000 of those donors are Americans, according to the agency new york times. The cause of the fire has so far not been established, but the lead prosecutor on the investigation believes it was an accident.
In his opening speech, Macron pointed out that 2,000 oak beams were restored in the church and the new spire was rebuilt in the same manner as the one destroyed in the fire. Macron said firefighters prevented 16 bells from collapsing during the fire.
The president thanked donors for their support and praised the “unprecedented brotherhood” shown around the world in 2019 in response to news of the burning of a Catholic cathedral. He also praised the approximately 2,000 workers who contributed to the church’s restoration, including carpenters, stonemasons, electricians, woodcutters, locksmiths, polishers, sculptors, archaeologists, conservators and art historians.
This weekend’s grand reception marked Macron’s fulfillment of a five-year restoration promise at a time when France’s shaky government was briefly united. Last week, the French government of Macron-appointed Prime Minister Michel Barnier lost a no-confidence vote, the first such ouster since 1962. Meanwhile, Macron’s approval ratings have hit an all-time low.
Before the ceremony, Zelensky, US President-elect Donald Trump and Macron stood for photos and held a private meeting, purportedly to discuss the war in Ukraine.
On Sunday, December 8, the church opened to the public for a mass by appointment, attended by 2,500 people.
In accordance with Christian custom, the eight-day celebration will last until December 15 and include special ceremonies for merchants and locals, after which the cathedral will be open to the public for 12 hours a day.
