Notre Dame Cathedral in France, which burned down five years ago, has finally been restored. The restored architectural monument was visited by the country's President Emmanuel Macron. The results of the restoration work were shown to the public for the first time, writes France.24.
According to the publication, the head of state visited the cathedral eight days before the official opening. The visit took place in the format of a two-hour television inspection tour.
Our Lady of Paris.
Dernière visite de chantier avant la réouverture. https://t.co/YDlhum5by8— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) November 29, 2024
"The workers have done the 'impossible' by healing a 'national wound,'" Macron told restorers and officials.
What else is known
In 2019, after a devastating fire at the famous 12th-century Gothic cathedral, Emmanuel Macron promised not only to rebuild it within five years, but to make it even more beautiful than before. Now, French authorities say they have achieved that goal.
"About 250 companies and hundreds of experts were involved in the restoration work. All 2,000 people who contributed to this action were invited to Friday's event. The total cost of the restoration was about 700 million euros (more than 750 million dollars at today's exchange rate). The surplus will be used for future conservation work on the Gothic monument," the French publication writes.
The grand opening of Notre Dame will take place on December 7 and 8.
Also, in order to raise funds for the preservation of the country's religious heritage, French Culture Minister Rachida Dati proposed introducing a fee for visiting the cathedral.
Recall that Notre Dame Cathedralcaught fire on the evening of April 15, 2019. It burned for more than nine hours. Firefighters managed to save the building's frame, but the spire and roof collapsed.
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