Notre Dame reopening five years after fire

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People stroll in Notre-Dame de Paris on Frida in Paris. Associated Press / Christophe Petit Tesson, pool via AP

Notre Dame reopening five years after fire

French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday conducted his final walkthrough of the construction before the cathedral’s public reopening scheduled for next month. During the televised tour, Macron congratulated and thanked more than a thousand people gathered in the building who worked on the restoration project. The 12th-century cathedral will reopen on Dec. 7, hosting its first mass in more than five and a half years the following day. Nearly 170 bishops from around the world are expected to participate in the inaugural mass and the consecration of the altar.

What happened in 2019? A fire broke out in the historic building’s attic on April 15, 2019, destroying the spire and vaulted wood ceiling. Hundreds of firefighters battled the blaze and contained the fire before it could severely damage the church’s two iconic towers. Fire crews worked through the night to extinguish the fire. They rescued many of the cathedral’s relics, artwork, and famous stained glass windows from the flames. Investigators determined the fire was an accident and likely caused by either electrical issues or a discarded cigarette left by a worker involved in a restoration campaign, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. Immediately after the fire, Macron promised to rebuild the iconic structure in five years.

What was involved in the restoration? About 340,000 donors from around the world donated about $895 million to the rebuilding effort, according to the public body responsible for the conservation and restoration of the cathedral. Workers completed the cathedral’s new spire in February and carpenters laid the final trusses of the nave’s roof structure in March. While the interior of the building will be ready for visitors in December, some exterior work will continue into 2025.

Dig deeper: Read Jenny Lind Schmitt’s report in WORLD Magazine about the rebuilding project.

Lauren Canterberry

Lauren Canterberry is a reporter for WORLD. She graduated from the World Journalism Institute and the University of Georgia with a degree in journalism, both in 2017. She worked as a local reporter in Texas and now lives in Georgia with her husband.