Paris: Notre-Dame Cathedral Restored 5 Years After Fire

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Facts

  • On Friday, French Pres. Emmanuel Macron conducted a tour of the newly renovated Notre-Dame Cathedral, officially set to reopen on Dec. 7, five years after a massive fire gutted the Gothic masterpiece.[1]
  • The five-year restoration project, which cost €700M ($739M), mobilized 2K craftspeople, including stonemasons, carpenters, sculptors, and organ builders, to restore the 12th-century monument.[2]
  • The renovation included cleaning 42K square meters of stone, restoring 8K organ pipes, rebuilding the wooden framework roof, and reconstructing the 96-meter-tall spire that collapsed during the fire.[3]
  • Modern safety features have been discreetly integrated into the restored cathedral, including thermal cameras and fireproof barriers, while the cathedral's limestone walls have been cleaned.[4][5][6]
  • Authorities expect annual visitor numbers to increase from 12M pre-fire in 2017 to 14M-15M after reopening, with the Catholic Church maintaining free admission despite suggestions to charge entrance fees.[7]
  • On April 15, 2019, the cathedral was undergoing external renovation when a fire broke out inside its roof. Some 600 firefighters extinguished the blaze in about 15 hours, and no one was killed or injured.[8][9]

Sources: [1]Al Jazeera, [2]France 24, [3]Associated Press, [4]FOX4Kc, [5]CBS, [6]CBC, [7]DAWN, [8]BBC News and [9]Sky News.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by BBC News. The restoration represents a triumph of French craftsmanship and determination, successfully meeting Pres. Macron's ambitious five-year deadline while making the cathedral even more beautiful than before through meticulous attention to historical detail and preservation of cultural heritage.
  • Narrative B, as provided by The Washington Times. This is certainly a monumental achievement but the cathedral is far from being fully restored. With an unfinished exterior and construction equipment still cluttering the premises, it seems that Macron has declared an early victory in an obvious attempt to bolster his administration.