Notre Dame de Paris: A Celebration of Beauty, Restoration, and Reopening

April 15, 2019 was a very sad day for Paris and the world. The 850 year old church in the heart of Paris caught fire and burned for almost 15 hours. I was shocked and heartbroken when I saw photos of the cathedral in flames and later almost in ruins. But it has survived thanks to over 5 years of great expense and hard work. The re-opening will take place December 7 and 8, 2024 but the work will continue well into 2025.

1. Before The Fire: The Beauty of Notre Dame de Paris

I’d like to start off this post with photos showing how beautiful Notre Dame Cathedral is. Information about its history and the recent fire, come after.

(a) The Interior Of Notre Dame

The church has three round, stained glass windows that were constructed in the 1200s. These are the rose windows and measure approximately 32 feet in diameter. The Grand pipe organ was added in 1868 and during its lifetime it has been modified, been repaired, and updated. At the back is the golden cross and alter.

If you had the opportunity to go to the top of the towers, you would have seen the gargoyles close up and gotten great views of Paris. While the gargoyles on top of the tower are perfectly positioned for photos, they are in fact used for drainage. From up top, you got a panoramic view of Paris with sights of the Seine river, the Eiffel Tower, Saint Sulpice, and Tour Montparnasse.

(b) The Exterior Of Notre-Dame

One of my favourite places to take photos of Notre-Dame is from the southeast corner of the cathedral. Whether you are standing on Pont de l’Archevêché or sitting on a barge having a drink (I’ve done both), you’ll always get a great view—-day or night.

There are always crowds near the entranceway to Notre-Dame. They are either gazing at the statues and carvings on the facade, looking at the two towers, or staring down at Point Zero. This is the exact centre of Paris from which all distances are measured.

(c) October 2018 Sound And Light Show

During my a visit to Paris in the Fall of 2018, it was announced that there would be a special sound and light show called, “Dame de Coeur” (Queen of Hearts), created by Bruno Seillier. I absolutely loved this show and I hope it will return after the renovations are done as it was truly a unique experience. It highlighted the beauty of Notre-Dame de Paris in so many colours-—literally.

The spectacle ran for 8 nights (16 sessions) and it was anticipated that 160,000 saw the show. It took place right in front of Notre-Dame Cathedral with colourful lights shining on the monument. Admission was free and you just needed a ticket to get into the secured area. Everyone stood around to watch the show for approximately half an hour.

The storyline of the show involved a meeting between a French nurse and dying American soldier on the battlefield during World War I. He tells her that he regrets having never visited Notre-Dame but through magic, they are able to visit it together. This story was told with a light show illuminated on the facade of Notre Dame combined with dialogue (in French, of course), and music.

I hope that with the reopening of Notre Dame, that the sound and light shows will return.

2. Historic Notre Dame Cathedral

Notre-Dame de Paris (Our Lady of Paris) was built in the 12th century on Île de la Cité, and while Victor Hugo’s book, “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame” made it popular for the masses in 1831, it is particularly renowned for these facts:

• is the most visited monument in Paris, with more than 13 million visitors a year
• designated a UNESCO World Heritage site
• Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned Emperor there in 1804
• survived the French Revolution and two world wars
• supposedly houses the crown of thorns which is said to be what Jesus wore before his crucifixion
• many of the heads of the statues at Notre-Dame were removed during the French Revolution by protestors believing they symbolized the monarchy. (They actually represented the kings of Judah). 21 of the severed heads can be found at the Cluny Museum.
• in the 19th century, architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc worked to restore Notre-Dame’s western facade, replacing the decapitated heads of the statues and adding the spire to the top of the cathedral.

3. April 15, 2019 Fire At Notre-Dame Cathedral

The latest images from inside #NotreDame are remarkable. Obviously enormous damage. But given the fire burned so long, the altar and cross seem largely intact, and even rows of pews untouched by flames pic.twitter.com/pa8uZhrUcI

— Patrick Galey (@patrickgaley) April 16, 2019

The wooden roof and the spire were destroyed on April 15, 2019 but miraculously, the twin towers were saved and the three stained glass rose windows remained undamaged. Over 400 firefighters fought the blaze and we all felt helpless as they struggled to extinguish the fire.

Experts have claimed that one of the reasons the whole cathedral didn’t collapse is because of the design of the church. The stone vaults acted like arches and when combined with the buttresses, the walls were reinforced.

It is said that the cause of the fire was an accident, but some feel it was connected to the extensive $9 million renovation project that was going on. An investigation by the French government is underway.

President Emmanuel Macron announced that Notre-Dame would be rebuilt and that funds would be raised to accomplish this. Within a few days, almost  900 million € ($1 billion) had been pledged. It was stated that Notre-Dame could be closed for at least 6 years and that there would be a competition to design the new spire.

Fortunately, 16 of the copper statues (12 apostles and four evangelists) had been removed days before the fire and Paris Mayor Anne Hildago has said that many of the furnishings, artworks, and treasures from Notre-Dame have been moved to Hôtel de Ville until a more permanent storage facility can be found.

Hopefully, by the time the repairs and renovations are done, you will have an opportunity to see the beauty of Notre-Dame de Paris.

4. Restoration Of Notre-Dame Cathedral

Since the devastating fire in 2019, I have visited Paris five times and have witnessed the gradual restoration of Cathédral Notre-Dame de Paris. The cost of the restoration is estimated to be over €700 million.

Each time I visited, large billboards often surrounded the cathedral. While they were there to cordon off the construction, what I enjoyed most were the photos, graphics, and stories about the fire and the brave firefighters who worked tirelessly to extinguish the flames. In recent years, there has been a focus on the craftspeople and teams who have worked to repair and protect its beauty and history.

Medieval techniques were used as much as possible in the restoration process. I was impressed even more from my visit to Château de Guédelon soon after the fire because for this château, they are constructing it only using the methods and tools from the 13th-century. (If you’re curious to learn more about the restoration efforts at  Château de Guédelon), check out my visit here: Château de Guédelon. Seeing the craftspeople at work made me realize how important and difficult the task to restore Notre Dame is.

(b) Significant Milestones In The Restoration

The collapse of the spire, crashing through the cathedral’s rafters and roof soon after the fire started, was televised around the world and was shocking to see. So, to have a new spire installed in March 2024 was a big deal.

In addition to replacing the spire, here were some other key achievements:

• Three new bells were installed above the alter and one of the bells had been used in the Olympics. It was rung by each track and field winner. On November 8, 2024, the bells rang for the first time since 2019.
• The cathedral’s roof was reconstructed using the original medieval design. It has often been called “the forest” due to the wood structure under the lead roof. Before the fire, the wood had come from centuries old oak trees dating back to the 1200s. Unfortunately, the wooden framework was destroyed in the fire. For its restoration, one thousand old oak trees, aged 150 to 200 years, were chosen to replace this wood. They came from public and private forests all across France.
• The stained-glass windows and the large rose windows were not damaged but due to the smoke and soot from the fire, were very dirty. The glass was cleaned and today, the colours of the windows are incredibly vibrant.
• Much of the stonework was also undamaged but did get covered in soot and dirt so it over 40,000 square metres of limestone masonry had to be cleaned.
• When the church was on fire, many worried that the Crown of Thorns, which was on display in Notre Dame, was destroyed. This relic was believed to be the wreath of thorns that was places on Jesus’ head when he was crucified and in the 13th century it was brought to Paris by King Louis IX. The crown was saved, however, by the Paris Fire Brigade and for the opening, it will be placed in a wooden shrine and presented to the church on December 13.
• Some work will continue into 2025 but most of the Cathedral will be ready to welcome the public.

5. Re-opening Of Cathédral Notre-Dame de Paris

(a) Reopening Ceremonies (December 7 and 8, 2024)

There will be special festivities the weekend of December 7 and 8. Many are not open to the public (asterisked).

On December 7:

• a concert on the parvis de Notre-Dame in the evening
• an official inauguration attended by the Archbishop of Paris, President of the Republic, officials, and guests will take place at 5:00 pm*

On December 8:

• inaugural mass at 10:30 am*

From December 8-15:

• The Octave Of Reopening with mass at 10:30 am.

(b) Access to Notre Dame

Visiting Notre Dame de Paris is now simpler and more streamlined with a new reservation system. While reservations aren’t mandatory (you could just line up), they’re highly recommended for faster access and shorter wait times. Booking is free, and you’ll receive your digital ticket instantly via email. But keep in mind that you can only make a reservation the day before, two days before, or on the day of your visit. 

Learn more about how to plan your visit on the official Notre Dame website! https://www.notredamedeparis.fr/en/visit/practical-information/reservation

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