The reconstruction of the cathedral took 5 years and cost 700 million euros.
On Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron visited the reconstructed Paris Cathedral of Notre-Dame, which was significantly damaged by fire five years ago. The UNESCO World Heritage site will be ceremonially reopened on Saturday, December 7. TASR reports according to the AFP agency.
A visibly satisfied Macron praised the reconstruction of the cathedral and declared that everyone who participated in it should be proud of themselves. Macron was accompanied by his wife Brigitte, the Archbishop of Paris, the Minister of Culture, the Mayor of Paris and other officials.
After the fire that broke out in April 2019, Marcon set an ambitious goal to reconstruct Notre-Dame within five years, which French authorities say he has achieved.
250 companies and 2,000 workers from all over the world participated in the restoration
250 companies and 2,000 workers from all over the world took part in the demanding reconstruction. The renovation of the cathedral cost 700 million euros and the entire amount was provided by private donors. After the reconstruction, a new mechanism to protect against future fires and a hidden extinguishing system were added to the cathedral.
According to AFP, the French president hopes that the reopening of the Notre-Dame cathedral will be a significant achievement for him in the difficult political situation after early parliamentary elections this summer.
Several world leaders are expected to attend the opening ceremony, but the guest list has not yet been published. Pope Francis was also invited, who surprisingly declined and will visit the French island of Corsica instead.
The investigation into the cause of the fire continues even after more than five years. It is believed that it was not set on purpose and was probably caused by a short circuit, a welding torch or an unextinguished cigarette.
12 million people visited the Gothic cathedral in 2017. After its reopening, the number of visitors is expected to increase by two to three million people.
