Ten days before the official opening of Notre Dame Cathedral, which was heavily damaged by fire in April 2019, footage of the renovated cathedral was shown to the public for the first time since restoration.
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The France 2 report coincides with the visit of President Emmanuel Macron to the cathedral, who visited it on Friday accompanied by his wife Brigitte, Culture Minister Rachida Dati and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo.
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The fences that hid the cathedral porch from the public were removed. The completely restored porch is now covered with light-colored stone. The President was shown a design project for the square in front of the cathedral: it is planned to be landscaped by planting 160 trees along the perimeter.
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During the work, which lasted more than 5.5 years, the 96-meter spire of the cathedral, which collapsed during the fire, was completely restored. The weather vane in the shape of a rooster, despite the fact that the original was found among the ruins after the fire, was replaced with a new one. It is covered in gold, and capsules with the names of everyone who helped save and restore the cathedral were placed inside it.
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The nave and frame were rebuilt, reconstructed using medieval techniques and two thousand carefully selected oak trees. At the same time, the cathedral was equipped with a large-scale fire extinguishing system.
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The interior of the cathedral was also completely renewed: inside it acquired completely different colors than before the fire: the stone walls and vaults were cleaned of centuries-old plaque and acquired a light beige rather than gray tint.
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The organ’s eight thousand pipes were cleaned and reassembled, and the bells, the heaviest of which weighs more than 4 tons, were also cleaned. New chairs and liturgical decorations were made for the cathedral, including a bronze baptistery and a golden cross.
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More than 250 companies throughout France and 2,000 workers were employed in the reconstruction of the cathedral. Thus, at a family enterprise in Normandy, more than 160 meters of new grilles for the cathedral were produced, and in the Rhône department, 400 meters of stained glass windows were restored.
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846 million donations were collected for the renovation of the cathedral. This will allow the restoration of the monument to continue. The second phase of work, dedicated to the renovation of the porch, as well as Place Jean XXIII and the Maurice Careme embankment near the cathedral, is expected to begin at the end of 2025 and will last five years.
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The opening ceremony of the cathedral will take place on December 7 and 8. French President Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to speak at the event. As French media reported, Macron, who is proud that the promise to restore the fire-damaged cathedral in five years was fulfilled, intends to make this his “minute of glory.” However, the speech originally planned inside the cathedral was moved to the porch after sharp criticism from the public, who accused the president of violating the law on the separation of church and power. At the same time, Macron also plans to attend mass in the cathedral on December 8.
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It was reported that future US President Donald Trump and outgoing President Joe Biden, the kings of Great Britain, Spain and Morocco Charles III, Philip VI and Mohammed VI, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, as well as Vladimir Zelensky were invited to the opening of the cathedral. The presence of international religious figures is planned, including Archbishop of New York Timothy Michael Dolan and Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I. At the same time, Pope Francis, invited by Macron, will not take part in the opening of the cathedral. People around the pontiff referred to his “busy schedule.”
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Earlier, Figaro also reported that the opening of Notre Dame could be attended by Paul McCartney, who will give a concert in Paris shortly before, as well as U2 leader Bono.
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The ceremony on December 7 will see the consecration of the new altar, accompanied by the playing of an organ. The cathedral will open to visitors on December 8. The solemn masses will be held over eight days to allow everyone to attend.
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The largest fire in history at Notre Dame Cathedral occurred on April 15, 2019. The cathedral spire collapsed and the supporting structure was engulfed in flames.
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More than 800 people extinguished the fire for several hours.
The fire destroyed the unique timber roof frame of 800-year-old oak beams, each made from a single tree trunk.
