The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is reopening to the public. French President Emmanuel Macron spoke on Friday, Nov. 29 to workers and donors who helped restore the nearly 1,000-year-old cathedral over the last five-and-a-half years, calling their efforts “the project of the century.”
“Don’t forget that you repaired, that you contributed to reinvent, that you loved this place and that you rebuilt it,” Macron said. “Don’t forget that during these five years of your life, you shared together, without a doubt, the most beautiful project of the century.”
Macron also toured the cathedral, where he had a chance to look at the new oak roof and the restored windows. He said that it felt like they were “rediscovering” it.
Notre Dame caught fire in April 2019. The blaze severely damaged the building and nearly took down its main bell towers.
In the years since, the cathedral has been closed to the public. But after firefighters contained the blaze, construction and restoration workers have worked on rebuilding the Paris landmark.
The effort focused on using construction methods that would align with the way the cathedral was first built in the 12th century.
French authorities still don’t know the cause of the fire, but think either an electrical issue or a burning cigarette may have started it.
The cathedral will reopen to the public after a ceremony on Sunday, Dec. 7. It will host a series of special masses in the first few days afterward.
