PARIS — Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is set to reopen after 5 1/2 years of work to restore its wooden and lead roof, its famous spire and other parts of the building that were destroyed or damaged in a devastating fire in April 2019 .
Here’s everything you need to know about the historic monument’s reopening.
When does Notre Dame reopen?
An official and religious ceremony will take place on Saturday (7), starting at around 7pm local time.
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First, the president Emmanuel Macron of France, who has promised to restore the medieval Gothic masterpiece within five years of the fire, will give a speech in front of the cathedral to Roman Catholic dignitaries, foreign officials and donors who contributed to the renovation.
Afterwards, the archbishop of Paris will knock on the doors of the cathedral with his staff, and a choir will sing Psalm 121 three times. The doors will be opened, and the archbishop will lead a service and bless the church’s large organ, which was not damaged but had to be cleaned of toxic lead dust.
Afterwards, there will be a televised show and concert, also in front of the cathedral. Gustavo Dudamel will conduct the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra, and there will be performances by the Chinese pianist Just Justby the Beninese-French singer Angelique Kidjo and the Canadian singer Garou.
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On Sunday, the cathedral will celebrate a Mass to consecrate the altar. Macron and around 170 bishops from France and elsewhere are expected to attend, as well as priests from Paris’ 106 parishes.
A mass for the general public will be offered in the evening — this will be the first time visitors will be able to enter the renovated cathedral. The ceremonies will be broadcast live on France’s national television channel and captured on other channels around the world.
Who participates in the ceremonies?
More than 40 heads of state and government, religious dignitaries and other officials are expected to attend, but the Papa Francisco I already said I won’t be present.
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The president Joe Biden is also not expected to attend, but Jill Biden, the first lady, will be there. The president-elect Donald Trump I said this week I would go.
Authorities have planned extremely tight security for the area around Notre Dame over the weekend, similar to arrangements for the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics. Around 40,000 members of the public will be able to watch from further away on giant screens.
What else is planned?
From December 9th to 15th, there will be masses for the firefighters who saved the building, for the workers and artisans who helped with the renovation, and for the approximately 340,000 donors who provided money for the renovation, as well as other masses for the general public. Two concerts, with performances of Magnificat by Johann Sebastian Bachwill be held at the cathedral on December 17th and 18th.
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When can I visit?
All times to participate in Sunday’s public mass have already been reserved. But, from Monday, the cathedral — which was one of the most visited monuments in the French capital before the fire that closed it — will be open to the public. It will begin accepting groups of pilgrims in February and tourist groups in June.
Is visiting Notre Dame free?
Yes. France’s culture minister had floated the idea of an entry fee this fall to help pay for expensive upkeep of the country’s thousands of churches and other religious monuments. Many of them are owned by government officials — a legacy of the French Revolution, when property belonging to the clergy was nationalized. Notre Dame, for example, is owned by the French state.
But France’s Roman Catholic Church manages the monument and has opposed any entry fee.
The church’s mission is “to welcome every man and woman unconditionally, and therefore necessarily freely, regardless of their religion or belief, opinions or financial means,” church officials said in October.
How much did the renovation of Notre Dame cost?
Around 840 million euros, or 900 million dollarsof approximately 340,000 donors were collected after the fire to help renovate the cathedral.
Notre Dame came dangerously close to collapsing during the fire, and the first step was to hold it together. Workers also had to deep clean the limestone, paintings and statues to remove ash, lead particles and centuries of accumulated dirt.
The effort involved approximately 250 companies and approximately 2,000 workers and artisansincluding architects, carpenters, engineers, bricklayers, painters, gold leaf decorators, roofing workers, crane operators, organ cleaners and roofing specialists.
They restored stained glass windows, created new ornaments on the lead roof, cut wooden beams and assembled roof structures, among other work. At its peak, until 600 workers they moved on scaffolding every day, under strict measures to avoid exposure to toxic lead dust.
Did Notre Dame get a modern touch?
No. The French government had suggested that the cathedral’s 19th-century tower could be rebuilt with a “contemporary architectural gesture” and had even proposed an architectural competition, leading to a flurry of ideas that ranged from bold to extravagant, including a beam of light and a carbon fiber flame.
But the idea of a modern tower was never popular, Macron never committed to it and it was eventually abandoned. The tower was rebuilt as it was: an oak structure covered in lead, crowned by a cross and a copper rooster that overlooks Paris from more than 90 meters above the ground. The medieval attic, a lattice of ancient oak beams known as “the forest”, was also restored to its original state.
The renewal, however, added modern fire protection on the roof that were absent in 2019, including misting devices, fire barriers, thermal cameras, and thicker roof boards that would burn more slowly.
Is the work on Notre Dame complete?
No. External renovations will continue for a few more years. Some $150 million left over from donations will be used to restore sections, including the sacristy and buttresses, that were worn down long before the fire.
Now do we know what caused the fire?
Not exactly. French authorities have found no evidence of arson and say an accidental cause is most likely, possibly linked to restoration work on the tower that was being carried out when the fire occurred.
An investigation is ongoing and could last at least a few more months. The main theories are that the fire was caused by a discarded cigarette or a short circuit, possibly in elevators used by workers.
No one has been charged, and a definitive explanation may never come.
