Notre-Dame cathedral edges closer to reopening five years after devastating fire

• The restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral, which suffered destruction in a fire in 2019, is nearing completion.
• The restoration aims to boost France’s mood and government approval ratings.
• French authorities suggest an electrical fault or a burning cigarette may have caused the fire, but the exact cause remains unclear.

As the world’s eyes turn to Paris for the Olympic Games, the restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral is nearing completion five years after a devastating fire. On the evening of April 15, 2019, flames burst into the cathedral’s roof. Soon, they engulfed the spire and nearly toppled the main bell towers. TV viewers around the world watched with horror as the medieval building burned.

Macron, whose second and final term ends in 2027, aims for the cathedral’s restoration to lift the nation’s mood — and his government’s approval ratings. “Only once in a century does one host Olympic and Paralympic Games, only once in a millennium does one rebuild a cathedral,” Macron said in his 2024 New Year speech.

French authorities have stated that an electrical fault or a burning cigarette may have been responsible for the fire, but it remains unclear exactly what caused it.

“I remember a firefighter telling me, ‘Sir, take a close look at the facade because if we don’t manage to put out that fire, it will all go to ruin’,” recalled Laurence Alsina, who owns a bookselling stand close to the cathedral on the banks of the River Seine.

The facade held, but intense stabilization and restoration works have been necessary for the past five years to repair the damage.

The pride of those working on the project shines through.

“This is the construction work of a lifetime, because restoring an entire monument in all its three-dimensionality, that’s quite exceptional.” Emma Roux, an artisan working on the iconic stained glass windows said.

The official leading the project has stated that the re-opening scheduled for December is currently running on schedule.

Last month at a Senate hearing, Philippe Jost stated, “We are on time and budget.” Jost informed lawmakers that the project had so far cost 550 million euros ($587 million), funded in part by massive donations, including from luxury sector billionaires Francois Henri Pinault and the Arnault family. He mentioned that the donations had provided so much money that there would even be funds left over for further investment in the building.

“An additional 150 million euros should be made available and — provided the approval of our sponsors — it will be used to restore the cathedral and tackle problems that predate the fire, which mainly concern the exterior stonework,” Jost added. Jost, 63, a trained engineer who spent much of his career in the defense ministry, took over the job after his predecessor, General Jean-Louis Georgelin, died in a hiking accident in August 2023.

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