After nearly six years since the devastating fire that blazed through the Notre Dame cathedral, the iconic Parisian monument is welcoming crowds once more.
The nearly nine hundred year old cathedral dedicated to the Virgin Mary, serves as a testimony to the elegance of Romanesque and Gothic architecture.
With its beautiful artwork decorating the interiors, breathtaking stained-glass windows, elaborate beams arching overhead, soaring spires and the iconic gargoyles bearing down on the streets of Paris, the Notre Dame Cathedral draws in twenty million visitors a year.
Construction of the Notre-Dame de Paris began in 1163 and finished in the fourteenth century, a feat that took nearly two centuries.
Built on the eastern half of Île de la Citéan island in the Seine River within Paris, France’s 4th arrondissement; in the very heart of Paris, the cathedral stands as a testament to the power of faith and history.
The medieval-gothic cathedral has stood the test of time, witnessing many of history’s largest moments from the French Revolution to World War II.
Since the completion of the cathedral in the fourteenth century, Notre Dame has had modifications in the eighteenth century and a major restoration project done in the nineteenth century.
All were done in hopes of preserving the iconic monument for many more years to come.
On April 15, 2019 a fire tore through the cathedral at 6:18 in the afternoon. Firefighters rushed to the scenes as smoke poured from the roof while people took in the horrific scene.
Thought to be started by a cigarette, the fire destroyed most of the roof as well as the iconic wooden spire along with severe damage to the cathedral’s upper walls and with some of the exterior art damaged or destroyed.
Luckily the stone ceiling that took most of the damage had collapsed, preventing further burning of the interior. Most of the historical relics were saved.
The cathedral was immediately closed and the French president, Emmanuel Macron announced a five year deadline to restore Notre Dame.
For the first time since 1803, Notre Dame did not hold the Christmas mass.
The world mourned the burning of the beautiful cathedral, pouring in support for its restoration with nearly nine hundred million dollars raised worldwide.
At the time, the estimated cost for restoration was as high as seven billion euros, similar to the cost of the ongoing renovations of the Palace of Westminster in London.
Macron had hoped for the cathedral to be reopened in time for the summer 2024 Paris Olympics, however experts said that it would take ten to forty years to restore Notre Dame to its previous state with a structure that will not collapse again.
December 7, 2024 marked the reopening of Notre Dame.
With a ritual knocking, the Archbishop of Paris unveiled the resurrected cathedral, built as closely to the original as possible.
Around two thousand people helped to restore the cathedral with funding from 150 different countries.
Macron was deeply moved by so many people gathering together to help resurrect the cultural treasure, saying “To mobilize. It’s such a challenge, you see, and challenge unifies people.”
The world is thrilled to see the iconic monument once more as a love letter to the beauty of the past and a testament to the dedication of preserving the past.