Reopening on December 7, Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris rises from ashes after 5 years

Notre Dame Cathedral, situated on the Île de la Cité, a small island in the Seine River in Paris, France will reopen for visitors on December 7 after more than 5 years.

The Cathedral was under a devastating fire on April 15, 2019, that destroyed a significant part of the Cathedral, leading to its closure.

The reopening of Notre Dame is highly anticipated by visitors and is expecting to have 15 million visitors after the reopening.

The Cathedral is set to reopen after a five year restoration plan that mainly focused on restoring the ceiling, spire and restoring it to its historic look.

Furthermore, French President, Emmanuel Macron will visit the Cathedral to check the renovation on November 29.

The Damage by Fire

·        Spire – The 300 – foot – tall spire of the 19th century collapsed during the fire.

·        Roof – Quite a portion of the roof was destroyed in the fire along with the wooden framework.

·        Vaulted Ceiling – The fire weakened the ceiling, leading to a significant portion of the Cathedral to collapse.

·        Interior – The pews, altars and other furniture was also destroyed in the fire.

·        Public – The fire led to toxic dust and lead to spread in the air and three emergency workers were heavily injured during the fire.

The Restoring Project

·        A new, identical spire is rebuilt using traditional methods and materials to give it that 19th century look.

·        Over 1000 oak trees are used to construct the roof.

·        The vaulted ceiling is also restored to its original look.

·        The interior of the cathedral is also modeled.

To manage the large number of visitors, a new online ticket system will implement allowing them         to book their tickets in advance. 

Additionally, a mobile app about the Cathedral’s history, architecture and art will be launched to educated people about it.

The Notre Dame Cathedral

Notre Dame is a gothic church built in Paris, France in 1163 and was completed in 1345, nearly after 200 years.

The Cathedral is 420 feet long, 157 feet wide and 305 feet high and is one of the finest gothic architecture in the world.

It is famous for its beautiful rose-stained windows, which create a kaleidoscope of colors and keeps the light from entering the cathedral.

Notre Dame is embellished with many complex carvings and structure, including gargoyles (sculpted waterspout to keep rainwater away from walls and prevent damage) and chimera (mythical figure used on rooftops as decoration).

The Cathedral attracts millions of people every year and is featured in many movies and arts.

Other Gothic Cathedrals in the world

·        Cologne Cathedral – Germany

·        Westminster Abbey – London, UK

·        Chartres Cathedral – France

·        Basilica di San Francesco – Italy

·        Salisbury Cathedral - England