France’s Notre Dame Cathedral is expected to reopen to services and the general public at the end of 2024. This comes less than six years after a major fire that led to the collapse of the spire and part of the roof, as well as damage to the interior decoration.
For now, the restoration project is well underway to meet the December 2024 deadline set by President Emmanuel Macron after the fire. Unfortunately, he will not be fully prepared for the Paris Olympics scheduled for the summer of 2024.
“My task is to be ready to open this cathedral in 2024, and we will do it,” says General Jean-Louis Georgelain, the army general in charge of the reconstruction project. “We fight for this every day and are on a good track.”
According to Minister of Culture Rima Abdul-Malak, even though the cathedral will be open to visitors, this “does not mean that all repairs are completed.” She added that “in 2025 there will still be some renovation work.”
Restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral
Renovating one of the most famous Parisian landmarks was quite a challenge. It began in 2022, after two years of work to make the monument stable and safe enough for workers to begin restoration.
The authorities decided to restore the masterpiece of Gothic art of the XII century as it was before. This includes the re-creation of the 96-meter spire from the 19th century, designed by the architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc.
The cathedral’s iconic centerpiece, which collapsed in the fire, will resurface over the monument this year, signaling its resurrection. “The return of the spire to the sky of Paris, in my opinion, will be a symbol that we are winning the battle for Notre Dame,” says General Georgelin.
About 1,000 people across France are working on the restoration of Notre Dame every day.
“We have to do a lot of different work: frame, painting, stones, vault, organ, stained glass, and so on,” explains the general.
A new exhibition dedicated to Notre Dame
The exhibition titled “Notre Dame Cathedral: at the Heart of Construction” pays tribute to the hundreds of artisans who worked on the renovation. It opened on Tuesday 7 March in Paris.
The exposition is located in an underground room located in front of the cathedral, and the entrance to it is free. She talks about the ongoing restoration work of the cathedral, demonstrates the experience and skill of the workers, and shows some of the works of art rescued during the fire.