PARISIANS WITNESS REBUILD AND RENOVATION OF NOTRE-DAME – Five years after disastrous fire
Parisians flocked to the banks of the River Seine on Saturday, December 7th, to witness the re-opening of Notre-Dame the Paris cathedral.
As world leaders and dignitaries gathered inside the building for a ceremony, Notre-Dames bells rang as crowds listened quietly.
“The life of Notre Dame resides in the sounds it makes and, for five years, we didn’t hear anything. So I wanted to hear the bells ringing,” said Parisian Eloise Mathat.
On the evening of April 15, 2019, dismayed Parisians rushed to the scene and TV viewers worldwide watched horrified as the fire raged through the cathedral.
Notre-Dame has since been meticulously restored, with a new spire and rib vaulting, its flying buttresses and carved stone gargoyles returned to their past glory and white stone and gold decorations shining brightly once again.
Thousands of experts – from 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.
The cathedral’s first stone was laid in 1163, and construction continued for much of the next century, with major restoration and additions made in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Victor Hugo helped make the cathedral a symbol of Paris and France when he used it as a setting for his 1831 novel “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.” Quasimodo, the main character, has been portrayed in Hollywood movies, an animated Disney adaptation and in musicals.
So much money poured in for the renovation from all over the world – more than 840 million euros ($880 million), according to Macron’s office – there are still funds left over for further investment in the building.
