There is still a huge amount of work to be done and its contours are covered with scaffolding and cranes, but the silhouette of the Notre-Dame Cathedral of Paris is recovering the image it had before being devoured by the devastating fire of 2019. There remains, as of Today, 365 days until its opening and the French president, Emmanuel Macron, has taken advantage of the date to visit this Friday the works of the cathedral, which will be inaugurated, if everything goes according to plan, on December 8, 2024.
If the work had already accelerated in recent months, there is a key element that marks the change of pace, and it is the restitution of the famous arrow or needle, a work from the 19th century by the architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. It fell at 8 p.m. on April 15, 2019, during the fire. Recovering it, getting the tip to touch the Parisian sky again, was one of the biggest challenges in the restoration works of the cathedral.
The piece, 96 meters high, has been reconstructed with original materials: oak wood for the structure and lead for the covering. The foundation installation was done in April. It is a three-ton base made up of a complex assembly of wooden pieces. These were assembled in the workshop, then dismantled to be moved to the cathedral and reinserted in situ. Therefore, the upcoming completion of the restoration work on this arrow marks a milestone in the enormous work to recover Notre-Dame.
During these four and a half years, more than 1,000 people, the best artisans in the world in their disciplines, have been working on this project. During his visit this Friday, Macron greeted some of those responsible for the work, from the highest scaffolding, with whom he exchanged views. "What an adventure...", the president launched from above, in images broadcast on French television.
The French president had already visited these works on April 15, as he does every year, to commemorate the anniversary of the fire. He also did it on the occasion of the visit of King Carlos III, a few months ago. On this occasion, he has also walked through the nave of the church, which is beginning to get rid of its scaffolding.
Inside, the walls had to be cleaned and the stained glass windows restored. Six of the south wing will be replaced and an open competition will be held for artists to be able to exchange these for six other contemporary ones. Macron took the opportunity to pay tribute to Jean-Louis Georgelin, responsible for the reconstruction and who died a few months ago in an accident in the Pyrenees.
On December 8, 2024, Notre-Dame will once again be an object of worship
"Since 2019 we have been working to rebuild it (...) We have seen the progression of this work that seemed impossible. It is an important and exciting moment. On December 8, Notre-Dame will once again be an object of worship" for visitors, said the French leader, who has also announced the opening of a museum inside the cathedral.
The reopening of the French Gothic colossus in 2024 is a promise that Macron made at the time, who set a five-year deadline for reconstruction. It took two to secure the building. The restoration work is extremely complex for several reasons, firstly because a Gothic cathedral is being recovered in 2023 with the original materials (stone and oak). Also due to the logistical complexity, given that Notre-Dame stands next to the river, in the heart of the city.
This enormous work has been possible, in addition to the contribution of the French State, thanks to those of 340,000 donors from 150 countries. The opening will come shortly after another historic event for Paris, the Olympic Games to be held in the French capital in the summer.
