On April 15, 2019, a massive fire destroyed parts of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The cathedral’s 12th-century iron towers survived the fire, but the tower and its roof collapsed, filling the interior with toxic lead dust.
Following a more than five-year restoration project, Notre Dame reopened Saturday for two days of invitation-only celebrations. About 50 heads of state were present, including French President Emmanuel Macron.
Due to the high security of these events, the Paris police this weekend will close the entire area of Ile de la Cite near Notre Dame. It will only be open to invited guests and people who live and work on the island.
The cathedral will be open to the public on Monday.
Here’s a look at what’s new inside, and tips for visiting Notre Dame Cathedral on your next trip to Paris.
A look inside the restored cathedral
In addition to the new roof and spire, the interior of Notre Dame also has several notable changes. French artist Guillaume Bardet designed the brand new altar and other church items such as the baptismal font, all made of bronze.
Although the limestone walls of the cathedral may also look new, they were scrubbed from fire dust and dirt for more than a century.
French artist Sylvain Dubuisson has created a new 13-foot tall reliquary of the Crown of Thorns, believed to have been worn by Jesus Christ at his crucifixion. The temple is made of cedar wood – the same wood as the relic kept in the fire. On December 13, the Crown of Thorns will be returned to the main temple and placed in the center of the care center during a special ceremony.
The massive 8,000-pipe organ had to be dismantled and cleaned of toxic lead dust that covered it when the roof collapsed. Three stained glass windows survived the fire but also had to be cleaned thoroughly.
Daily Newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for the best news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG experts
The bell that rings for gold medal-winning athletes and record-breakers at the Stade de France during the 2024 Olympics is now in one of the cathedral’s steel structures. The towers will remain closed to the public until further notice, according to the Paris tourist office.
Although the interior of Notre Dame is now open again, visitors will notice that scaffolding remains on the outside of the cathedral. Work will continue for a few more years to restore the facades and airframes, using the remaining funds from the nearly 1 billion euros (about $1.06 billion) collected following the fire.
How to visit Notre Dame Cathedral
After the opening weekend, the cathedral will host another week of special celebrations, including a night to welcome local merchants and residents (Dec. 11), the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Dec. 12) and the return of the Crown of Thorns. (Dec. 13).
Most of these events will be by invitation only, but the public can visit Dis. 9-15 in the afternoon and evening. On December 16, the cathedral will resume its normal schedule and open daily to the public from 7:45 am to 7 pm.
A new service for booking timed entry to the main temple opens on Dec. 7, with visits beginning on Dec. 9 at 3:30 pm Reservations can be made through the official website or soon to launch the Notre Dame mobile app.
Booking is free, and you can book up to two days before your visit. The new mobile app will be available for iPhone and Android users in French, English and Spanish, and will include five self-guided tours.
Digital tickets will be sent by email. Reservations are not mandatory but highly recommended.
Related reading:
Source link
