By Elizabeth Pineau and Michaela Cabrera
PARIS (Reuters) – Paris’ Notre-Dame Cathedral will reopen its doors next week to tourists and the Catholic faithful, five-and-a-half years after fire gutted the Gothic masterpiece, one of the French capital’s most beloved and visited monuments.
President Emmanuel Macron was one of the first to catch a glimpse of the newly renovated cathedral on Friday morning. He appeared impressed by the spectacular light pouring into the nave after the cathedral’s windows were renewed and its white stones cleaned.
“This is overwhelming”, the president said as he took an extensive tour along with his wife Brigitte and some officials, shaking hands with many of the master craftsmen who had taken part in the renovation.
Major reconstruction works have restored the 12th-century cathedral, its spire, rib vaulting, flying buttresses, stained-glass windows and carved stone gargoyles to their past glory, with the white stone and gold decorations shining brighter than ever.
It is a far cry from the evening of April 15, 2019, when TV viewers in France and worldwide watched with horror as the cathedral’s roof and spire burst into flames and collapsed in a raging fire that also threatened the main bell towers, which narrowly avoided destruction.
Firefighters worked through the night to save the cathedral, and for more than five years, thousands of expert craftspeople used age-old methods to restore, repair or replace everything that was destroyed or damaged.
“It was an exceptional renovation project,” stone-carver Samir Abbas, 38, said, relieved at having finished on schedule, while waiting along with some 1,300 other workers in front of the cathedral for Macron’s arrival.
An opening ceremony – to which celebrities and heads of state have been invited – is planned for the evening of Dec. 7, followed by days of special Masses to celebrate the reopening and to thank those who helped save and rebuild the cathedral.
So much money poured in for the renovation from all over the world – more than 840 million euros ($882 million), according to Macron’s office – that there are still funds left over for further investment in the building.
The Catholic Church now expects the cathedral to welcome some 15 million visitors annually.
“We are very eager to welcome the whole world under the roof of our cathedral,” Paris’ Archbishop Laurent Ulrich said in a message on the cathedral website, expressing the Church’s gratitude to all those who helped save it.
“On the night of April 15, hundreds of thousands of people committed themselves to what then seemed an impossible bet: to restore the cathedral and give it back its splendour within the unprecedented deadline of five years.”
‘IT’S A RELIEF’
The guest-list for the reopening ceremony has not yet been published, but one source said U.S. President-elect Donald Trump was among those invited, along with other heads of state, royalty and celebrities.
U.S. President Joe Biden’s wife Jill will attend the ceremony while Trump has not yet responded, a source familiar with the planning said.
Parisians expressed excitement and relief on Friday at the prospect of the cathedral reopening.
“I’m so happy,” said 50-year-old architect Sebastien Truchot, who lives nearby. “Whether you believe in God or not, Notre-Dame is a universal symbol, and it’s amazing to have it back and to rediscover it.”
Albert Abid, a bookseller whose stall stands on the quay, was shocked to see it burn five years ago. “It’s a relief. Finally, Notre Dame is restored,” he said.
(Additional reporting by Gabriel Stargardter; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Gareth Jones)
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