Notre Dame is reborn from its ashes in 2024
The reconstruction of Notre-Dame Cathedral is progressing smoothly enough to allow it to reopen at the end of 2024 as planned, less than 6 years after the fire that destroyed its roof.
The Authorities chose to rebuild the masterpiece of 12th century Gothic art as it was before. This includes the re-creation of the 96-meter-high 19th-century bell tower, designed by the architect Essen Violette le Duc.
The iconic spire, which had collapsed, will be gradually raised above the Paris monument this year, as a symbol of rebirth, said the man in charge of this colossal project, military officer Jean-Louis Zorzelin. “The return of this arrow to the sky of Paris will be, in my opinion, the symbol of our victory in the battle of Notre-Dame,” he said.
Reconstruction began last year, after two years of preparatory work to make the monument stable enough for craftsmen to safely begin.
General Zorzelen said Notre Dame would be rendered in line with the target set by President Macron immediately after the fire, but late for the Olympics scheduled for the summer of 2024.
Meanwhile, an exhibition entitled “Notre-Dame de Paris: At the heart of the construction site”, hosted in an underground facility opposite the cathedral, has just opened to visitors.
Open to the public, it highlights the work in progress as well as the expertise and skills of the workers and craftsmen working on the rebuilding, and showcases some artworks that survived the fire. In addition to the free visit, a virtual reality show will allow ticket-paying visitors to delve into the cathedral’s history.
Culture Minister Rima Abdul-Malak, however, clarified to The Associated Press that 2024 would not see the completion of the renovation, adding that there would be “more renovation work in 2025.” Every day, in the capital and across France, about a thousand people are working to rebuild Notre Dame, General Jean-Louis Zorgelin said.
Source: kathimerini.gr