Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris will reopen at the end of next year, thanks to the speedy progress of reconstruction following fires that devastated it in April 2019.
Reconstruction of the cathedral began last year after temporary supports were put in place to secure the structure. According to Travel Pulse, a special umbrella-like structure was also installed to protect the cathedral from the weather.
Now, less than six years after the fire, French officials have announced that Notre-Dame will reopen in December 2024, in line with the goal set by President Emmanuel Macron.
“My job is to be ready to open this cathedral in 2024. And we will do it,” said the army general in charge of the project, General Jean-Louis Georgelin. “We are fighting every day for that and we are on a good path.”
According to Associated Press, the 12th-century cathedral is being restored to its former state. This includes recreating the 93m-high spire added to the cathedral in the 19th century by architect Eugene Viollet-le-Duc.
Despite the reopening, French Cultural Minister Rima Abdul-Malak said renovations would not be fully completed by the end of next year and would continue into 2025.
Meanwhile, a new exhibition, ‘Notre-Dame de Paris: at the heart of the construction site’, opened at an underground facility in front of the cathedral on March 7, allowing visitors to experience it through a virtual reality show. The exhibition is free and features some remains from the fire and works of art from the cathedral.
