In Pics: France’s most-visited monument Notre Dame Cathedral being restored after being gutted by fire
Closed for restoration since 2019
Since the fire in 2019 destroyed its roof and sent its spire down to the terror of eyewitnesses and those watching in France and around the world on television and social media, Notre Dame has been closed for renovation.
Gutted by fire
President Emmanuel Macron promised to rebuild the cathedral, which goes back to the 12th century, soon after the April 2019 fire and to have it ready for worshipers by 2024, when France would host the Olympic Games. General Jean-Louis Georgelin of the French army and Philippe Villeneuve, France's senior architect for historical sites, oversaw the group's excursion on Thursday.
Clean using latex
Villeneuve demonstrated a method for cleaning the friezes of the Cathedral without harm by using latex. The spire, which is 96 metres (315 feet) tall and was built by architect Eugene Viollet-le-Duc in the middle of the nineteenth century using fresh wood, will also be restored to the cathedral's original design.
Target date tense objective
The 2024 reopening target date for the Notre Dame de Paris cathedral is described as "a tense, rigorous and complicated objective" by the general in command of the restoration yet the general still plans to complete it in time.
France’s most-visited monument
The cathedral, which nearly fell in its April 2019 fire, was promised by Georgelin that it would be prepared for a Te Deum celebration on April 15, 2024. The most visited landmark in France should reopen in time for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, according to President Emmanuel Macron.
Clean centuries of dirt
Along with repairing the roof, workers will clean the interior's walls and columns of centuries' worth of dust and smoke so that visitors acclimated to the interior's darkness would see the original limestone as bright as if it were brand new.
Burnt roof
After the risky initial years spent stabilising the exterior walls, clearing the fire's remnants, and cleaning pollution produced by the blazing lead-covered roof, the restoration project has entered its second phase.
Technical upgradation
The roof structure and stone vault ceilings will now be rebuilt, a new spire will be built above the transept, the stained glass and masonry will be cleaned, and new technical equipment will be installed, according to Georgelin.
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