OAN Staff James Meyers
2:16 PM – Friday, November 29, 2024
The newly renovated interior of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France has been revealed for the first time since reconstruction began over five years ago.
The historic landmark opened its doors to French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday, showcasing its brand new design that pays tribute to its original construction destroyed in the tragic 2019 mass fire.
President Macron and his wife, first lady Brigitte Macron, were shown around inside the Gothic cathedral ahead of its official reopening next month.
During the televised two-hour walkthrough, Macron appeared impressed by the light pouring into the nave after the cathedral’s windows were renewed and its white stones cleaned.
“This is overwhelming,” he said while taking an extensive tour alongside several government officials.
Additionally, Macron was also invited up on the roof to look at the new wooden beams, which had to be replaced after the fire had gutted the old ones.
The massive wood pieces came from all over France, and were repurposed from oak trees.
Macron was also seen shaking hands with many of the master craftsmen who had taken part in the restoration project.
In 2019, the globe watched in horror as a blaze tore through the 860-year-old masterpiece, reducing its roof to ashes, causing its central flame to collapse and toppling its soaring spire.
In the aftermath of the fire, donors, including billionaire French tycoons, pledged nearly $1 billion to restore the structure, according to restoration chief Philippe Jost.
The blaze was accidentally sparked under the cathedral’s roof, causing the church’s spire to crash down.
However, firefighters were ultimately able to save the building’s structural integrity and many treasured relics.
Meanwhile, the restoration project took over five years and included repairing the cathedral’s stained glass windows, roof and signature flying buttresses.
Furthermore, the cathedral’s spire and carved stone gargoyles have been restored to their past glory.
“It was an exceptional renovation project,” stone carver Samir Abbas said while awaiting Macron’s arrival.
Currently, the cathedral is empty inside, Notre Dame will eventually be filled with new, specially designed furniture before its reopening in December.
The cathedral still boasts three of its original windows unaffected by the fire. The windows all date back to the 13th-century.
The 14th-century statue Virgin and Child was also rescued from the fire and now sits in the newly restored masterpiece church.
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