On the evening of April 15, 2019, the roof of Notre Dame Cathedral caught fire. It soon engulfed the spire and the main bell towers collapsed. Around the world , television viewers watched in horror as the medieval building was engulfed in flames.
Flames engulf the spire of Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, France, on April 15, 2019, (left) and a view of the new spire, on March 30, 2024. Photo: REUTERS
French President Emmanuel Macron, whose second and final term ends in 2027, wants the cathedral's restoration to lift the spirits of the country's people and boost his administration's approval ratings.
“Only once in a century do we host the Olympics and Paralympics, only once in a millennium do we rebuild a cathedral,” Macron said in his 2024 New Year's address.
The exact cause of the fire is still unclear. French authorities said it could have been caused by an electrical fault or a lit cigarette.
The reopening was expected in December and is currently on schedule, according to project officials.
“We are on time and on budget,” Philippe Jost, head of the agency responsible for preserving the cathedral, said last month at a Senate hearing.
Jost told lawmakers the project has so far cost 550 million euros ($587 million), funded in part by huge donations, including from luxury sector billionaires Francois Henri Pinault and the Arnault family.
He said so much money had been raised that there would even be money left over to invest further in the building.
“An additional €150 million will be made available and, with the approval of our donors, this money will be used to restore the cathedral and address issues that existed before the fire, mainly related to the exterior stonework,” Jost added.
Jost, 63, is a trained engineer who spent most of his career in the Ministry of Defense , taking over the job after his predecessor, General Jean-Louis Georgelin, died in a hiking accident in August 2023.
Mai Van (according to Reuters, CNA)
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