Notre Dame remains closed since the fire accident around six years ago. For around two years France’s authorities have been working on making the cathedral stable for reconstruction and visitors. Overall, the authorities believe tourists will be able to visit this monument in 2024. Until then, they can visit its underground space.
“We are winning the battle of Notre Dame” – The Army General
Atlouht the cathedral will open in 2024, it will not happen in time for the Summer Olympics. This year everyone will see the cathedral’s famous steeple appearance over the landmark. The steeple represents the symbol of its long-awaited revival. “The return of the spire in Paris’ sky will in my opinion be the symbol that we are winning the battle of Notre Dame”, the army general in charge of the colossal project, Gen. Jean-Louis Georgelin said.
The French president postponed the repair because of COVID-19 restrictions and ongoing pollution, even though he promised complete repair for the Olympics. Also, when the cathedral finally reopens, the work will continue into 2025. The reconstruction will cost $865 million. When it comes to the underground exhibition, the program sheds light on the effects of fire and current construction.
Visitors and tourists can enter the exhibition for free. They only need to buy a ticket if they want to see a virtual show of the cathedral’s history. A few displays highlight the fire’s severe impact. For example, there is a showcase of shattered lead ornaments and scorched roof supports caused by the blaze’s extreme heat. The exhibition also shows gratitude to the workers who work tirelessly on the reconstruction of the cathedral.
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Around 1,000 Workers Build the Cathedral Every Day
The number of people working on the construction of the cathedral is large. It involves the daily work of a thousand people. “The biggest challenge is to comply precisely every day to the planning we have done” Gen. Georgelin stressed. “We have a lot of different works to achieve: the framework, the painting, the stones, the vault, the organ, the stained glass and so on”.
Philippe Jost, managing director of the government agency overseeing the reconstruction said the reconstruction will resemble the old cathedral. In the reconstruction, the same forms, materials, and methods are followed. “We don’t do concrete vaults that look like stone, we do stone vaults that we rebuild as they were built in the Middle Ages“, Jost said.
The well-known attic workers will build from 1,000 150-year-old trees. They are using a stone vaulted ceiling—not modern-day concrete—and the wooden timbers of “The Forest”. The reconstruction and exhibition will drive more tourists to Paris, the capital of France.
