By John Leicester and Thomas Adams, Associated Press
PARIS (AP) – Following over five years of intense restoration work, Notre Dame Cathedral unveiled its new identity to the world on Friday. The soaring ceilings and creamy, like-new stonework erased serious traces of the building’s terrible 2019 fire.
Live footage from French President Emmanuel Macron’s site visit revealed the interior of the famous cathedral as worshippers may have seen it in the Middle Ages, with its expansive, open areas bathed in light on a clear, sunny winter day that accentuated the vivid hues of the stained glass windows.
The monument is still under construction outside, complete with cranes and scaffolding. However, the refurbished interior, which was unveiled Friday for the first time before the public is permitted to return on December 8, was stunning.
On Friday, November 29, 2024, in Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron is seen touring the renovated interior of Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral, which includes the cathedral’s nave. (Pool via AP, Stephane de Sakutin)AP
Stonemasons fixed the ripped-open ceilings
The burned masses of debris that were left behind after the fire tore wide holes into the vaulted ceilings are no longer there. To fix and patch the holes that had exposed the cathedral’s interior to the weather, new stonework has been painstakingly put together. Soaring once more over the transept, delicate golden angels watch from the middle of one of the restored ceilings.
Both the fire’s dust and the centuries’ worth of dirt have been removed from the cathedral’s bright, cream-colored limestone walls, making them appear like new.
Prior to the April 15, 2019, fire that forced its closure and made the monument in the center of Paris inaccessible to anybody other than artists, architects, and others hired for the rebuilding, the cathedral drew millions of worshippers and tourists each year.
Macron gazed up at the cathedral’s ceilings in awe after entering via the enormous, finely carved main doors. The archbishop of Paris, his wife Brigitte, and other people were with him.
On Friday, November 29, 2024, in Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron, third right, and his spouse Brigitte Macron tour the renovated interior of the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral. (Pool via AP, Christopher Petit Tesson)AP
Techniques new and old deployed
When the fire melted the lead roofing of the cathedral, hazardous dust was first removed using powerful vacuum cleaners.
The surfaces were then sprayed with thin coats of latex, which were later removed a few days later, removing the dirt along with them. Additionally, some painted walls were cleaned using cleaning gels, which restored their vibrant hues after years of accumulated filth.
Like their medieval counterparts, carpenters rebuilt the roof and spire by hand, hewing enormous oak beams that fell into the fire like a flaming spear. The carpenters’ workmanship is evident in the beams, where their hand axes have left dents in the woodwork.
In order to rebuild roof frameworks so elaborate and dense that they are known as the forest, almost 2,000 oak trees were destroyed.
On Friday, November 29, 2024, in Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron is seen touring the renovated interior of Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral, which includes the cathedral’s nave. (Pool via AP, Stephane de Sakutin)AP
It s a sneak peak ahead of the reopening
Macron’s visit marked the beginning of a sequence of events that led to the reopening of the Gothic masterpiece from the 12th century.
Macron will return on Dec. 7 to give a speech and be present in a solemn Mass the next day to witness the consecration of the new altar.
The rebuilding is being hailed by Macron’s administration as a testament to French resilience and national cohesion.
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