The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is edging closer to a full re-opening following years of reconstruction work. For the first time since the 2019 fire, the interior is visible to the public.
ADVERTISEMENTFive years after a fire devastated the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, reconstruction work to the building’s interior can finally be revealed.
Images of a site visit by French President Emmanuel Macron showed the inside of the iconic cathedral as worshippers might have experienced it back in medieval times, its wide, open spaces filled with bright light on a crisp and sunny winter’s day that lit up the vibrant colours of the stained glass windows.
The cathedral attracted millions of worshippers and visitors annually before a fire on 15 April 2019, forced its closure and turned the monument in the heart of Paris into a no-go zone except to artisans, architects and others mobilized for the reconstruction.
Outside, the monument is still a construction site, with scaffolding and cranes. But the renovated interior – shown in its full glory Friday for the first time before the public is allowed back in on 8 December – proved to be breath taking.
Gone are the gaping holes that the blaze tore into the vaulted ceilings, leaving charred piles of debris. New stonework has been carefully pieced together to repair and fill the wounds that had left the cathedral’s insides exposed to the elements. Delicate golden angels look on from the centrepiece of one of the rebuilt ceilings, soaring again above the transept.
The cathedral’s bright, cream-colored limestone walls look brand new, cleaned not only of dust from the fire but also of grime that had accumulated for centuries.
Macron entered via the cathedral’s giant and intricately carved front doors and stared up at the ceilings in wonder. He was accompanied by his wife, Brigitte, the archbishop of Paris and others.
Powerful vacuum cleaners were used to first remove toxic dust released when the fire melted the cathedral’s lead roofs.
Fine layers of latex were then sprayed onto the surfaces and removed a few days later, taking dirt away with them. Cleaning gels were also used on some walls that had been painted, removing many years of accumulated dirt and revealing their bright colours once again.
Carpenters worked by hand like their medieval counterparts as they hewed giant oak beams to rebuild the roof and spire that collapsed like a flaming spear into the inferno. The beams show the marks of the carpenters’ handiwork, with dents made on the woodwork by their hand axes.
Around 2,000 oak trees were felled to rebuild roof frameworks so dense and intricate that they are nicknamed “the forest”.
Macron’s visit kicked off a series of events ushering in the reopening of the 12th-century Gothic masterpiece. He will return on Dec. 7 to deliver an address and attend the consecration of the new altar during a solemn Mass the following day.
