PARIS: Notre-Dame Cathedral in the French capital reopens its doors on Saturday, five-and-a-half years after it was ravaged by a devastating fire that destroyed its spire and roof and brought the entire Gothic masterpiece within minutes of collapsing.
The 860-year-old medieval cathedral, a symbol of both France and Paris, has been meticulously restored, with a new spire and rib vaulting, its flying buttresses and carved stone gargoyles returned to their past glory and the white stone and gold decorations shining brighter than ever.
On the evening of April 15, 2019, Parisians who rushed to the scene and TV viewers worldwide watched with horror as the cathedral’s spire and roof collapsed in the raging fire that threatened the main bell towers and the entire structure, which narrowly avoided destruction.
“The planet was shaken on that day,” said French President Emmanuel Macron ahead of Saturday’s opening ceremony.
“The shock of the reopening will — I believe and I want to believe — be as strong as that of the fire, but it will be a shock of hope.”
Macron, who is weakened by a deep political crisis at home, will have the chance to forget those woes when he welcomes US President-elect Donald Trump, Britain’s Prince William and dozens of heads of state and government including Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to a lavish opening ceremony set to start around 7pm (1800 GMT).
Late on Friday, Macron’s office and the Diocese of Paris said heavy winds would force the celebrations to be held entirely inside the cathedral. Macron had initially been expected to deliver a speech outside.
“I’m afraid I’ll fall to the ground when I enter because it will be very emotional,” said choir member Cecilia De Vargas, who is due to take part in the opening ceremony.
“Despite the horrible thing that happened, there’s a positive side, seeing how all the people, all the French people sought to rebuild the cathedral with such speed,” added Vargas.
Open to visitors
Thousands of expert craftspeople — from wood carpenters and stonemasons to stained glass window artists — worked around the clock for the last five years, using age-old methods to restore, repair or replace everything that was destroyed or damaged.
“Notre-Dame is more than a Parisian or French monument. It’s also a universal monument,” said historian Damien Berne.
“It’s a landmark, an emblem, a point of reference that reassures in a globalised world where everything evolves permanently,” noted Berne, a member of the scientific council for the restoration of Notre-Dame.
The cathedral’s first stone was laid in the 1160s, and construction continued for much of the next century, with major restoration and additions made in the 17th and 18th centuries.
So much money poured in for the renovation from all over the world — more than €840 million ($882 million), according to Macron’s office — that there are still funds left over for further investment in the building.
The Catholic Church now expects the cathedral to welcome some 15 million visitors annually.
If you’re lucky, you can visit on the evening of December 8 from 5:30pm to 8pm but there is at first likely to be fierce competition — and long lines — to visit the cathedral.
The cathedral says that from Saturday, visitors will be able to book a free ticket online, on its website, social media or a dedicated app, to get into the building on the same day or one or two days after booking. There will also be a queue on the spot for those who want to enter without a booking.
The cathedral has also created an app to help self-guide visits. Groups will only get access next year from February 1 for religious groups or from June 9 for tourists with guides.
First Mass on Sunday
The Archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich, will celebrate a Mass, starting at 10:30am (0930 GMT), the first of eight days of Masses devoted to the reopening and open to specific groups of the faithful and to guests, such as donors on December 11 and firefighters on December 15 Some of the Masses, including on the evening of December 8, at 6:30pm (1730 GMT), will be open to the general public.
Changes to structure?
Officials say the cathedral is more beautiful than ever, not only because its spire, roof and anything else destroyed by the fire was rebuilt by thousands of expert craftspeople, but also because the stone and paintings, which had blackened over the years, have been thoroughly cleaned. The furniture was also renovated and cleaned, or replaced.
Not everything was damaged in the fire. For instance, emergency workers formed a human chain to whisk gem-studded chalices and other priceless artefacts out of harm’s way.
Trump’s return to world stage
US President-elect Trump returns to the world stage on Saturday to join leaders for the reopening of the cathedral in Paris, still a private citizen but already preparing to tackle a host of international crises.
It will be Trump’s first trip overseas since he won the presidential election a month ago and it could offer French President Emmanuel Macron an opportunity to play the role of mediator between Europe and the unpredictable US politician, a role the French leader has relished in the past.
The two are expected to meet on the sidelines of Saturday’s visit. While no agenda for their talks has been announced, European leaders are concerned that Trump could withdraw US military aid to Ukraine at a crucial juncture in its war to repel Russian forces.
Macron is a strong supporter of the NATO alliance and Ukraine’s fight, while Trump feels European nations need to pay more for their common defence and that a negotiated settlement is needed to end the Ukraine war.
“Macron is repeating his personalised approach which had some limited success during Trump’s first term. [President] Macron knows Trump greatly appreciates the pomp, circumstance and grandeur of state and he provides it to him in abundance,” said Heather Conley, senior adviser to the board of the German Marshall Fund, which promotes US-European ties.
It was unclear whether Trump would meet other leaders besides Macron. The Trump transition team did not respond to a request for details.
