French President Emmanuel Macron thanked the nearly one thousand artisans who participated in the restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral. Macron called the action, which lasted about five and a half years, “the project of the century,” Reuters reports.
“We have never seen a construction site like this before. “You all contributed to the project of the century.” – said the French leader, addressing carpenters, bricklayers, restorers, firefighters and people who donated funds to repair one of the symbols of France after the fire.
Macron inspected the cathedral’s renovated spire, cross vaults, stone gargoyles, flying buttresses and stained glass windows.
“It’s overwhelming” – he stated.
The publication points out that, according to Macron’s office, more than 840 million euros (about 882 million dollars) have been allocated for the restoration. At the moment there are still funds for future investments in the building.
An opening ceremony, attended by celebrities and heads of state, is planned for the evening of December 7, followed by days of special masses to celebrate the completion of the restoration.
As reported EADailyOn April 15, 2019, a fire broke out in the French capital at Notre-Dame Cathedral, which was not extinguished until ten in the morning the following day. More than 400 firefighters worked to put out the fire; They barely managed to save the building from total destruction. As a result of the fire, the cathedral’s famous spire and part of the roof collapsed. French Minister of Culture Frank Riester He stated that the damage to the cathedral was caused mainly by smoke and not fire. He predicted that the restoration of the cathedral would take “many years and hundreds of millions of euros.” The French president immediately planned to complete the restoration work within five years.
On May 24, 2024, a restored metal cross, 12 meters wide and weighing about 2 tons, which fell from the roof during a fire, was reinstalled on the roof of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
It was previously learned that Pope Francis would not attend the inauguration of the restored cathedral. The pontiff’s only business trip outside Italy until the end of 2024 is scheduled for December 15 to the French island of Corsica, where a conference will be held on the topic “Popular religiosity in the Mediterranean region.” At the same time, French media wrote that Macron personally invited him to the ceremony. The reason for this management, according to Figaro sources, is that Francis understands that he will be “marginalized” in the inauguration ceremony of Notre-Dame de Paris, which will become “an international political act for the glory of France.”
