Notre Dame Cathedral set to reopen to tourists in 2024

Monday, September 20, 2021

The Notre Dame Cathedral is all set to reopen to the public in 2024 nearly five years after the destructive fire enveloped the 850-year-old building and destroyed major portions of the architecture. The public responsible for the conservation and restoration of the historic building said in a statement that the securing of the cathedral had been completed on schedule.

As per the collective Friends of Notre Dame de Paris, during the “safety phase,” the cathedral’s gargoyles were wrapped and protected, the flying buttresses were reinforced, fortifying the gables fortified and burned scaffolding removed. General Jean-Louis Georgelin, President of the organization responsible for the restoration said in a statement that cathedral is now officially saved and it is solid on its pillars and walls are solid.

He mentioned that authorities will finally go ahead with the phase of restoring and rebuilding the parts destroyed by the fire, so that it is ready to reopen for services and public visits in 2024.  The 2024 reopening, will be a “victory for all of France” as per Georgelin and will also fulfil President Emmanuel Macron’s promise to the public that reconstruction works would be completed within five years of the April 2019 blaze.

Reconstruction is scheduled to begin in the coming months, according to the organization responsible for overseeing the works. A definitive cause of the fire has still not been established despite an extensive investigation, although prosecutors said it could have been started by either a cigarette or an electrical fault. Work on securing the cathedral was temporarily paused during the coronavirus pandemic last year and work was carried out to decontaminate the area of lead before work resumed in June 2020.

Last year President Macron decided the entire Notre Dame cathedral would be rebuilt exactly as it was, including the spire which was originally made of wood and fell to the flames in the first few hours of the fire. He mentioned that the Notre Dame will be rebuilt because that’s what the French people are expecting. He mentioned that is what France’s history is worthy of and that is also its deep destiny.

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