The fire-damaged Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris will not reopen until the Olympics

“We will meet the deadline,” Macron told reporters after visiting the cathedral exactly one year before the scheduled date.

Macron initially promised to rebuild Notre Dame within five years, in time for next summer’s Paris Olympics.

But after it became clear that the rebuild could take much longer, he set a new deadline.

SARAH MEYSSONNIER / REUTERS

After the fire on April 15, 2019, which destroyed the object included in the UNESCO heritage list, which was previously visited by about 12 million people every year. visitors, the reconstruction encountered difficulties.

The new spire of the cathedral, which will be fully completed when the city hosts the Olympic Games, has already begun to appear on the French capital’s skyline.

Hundreds of workers are rushing to rebuild the rest of the cathedral before it reopens to the public on December 8, 2024.

The new peak is identical to the previous one created in the 19th century by the architect Eugene Viollet-le-Duc.

By the end of the year, the oak structure should reach a height of 96 meters.

The peak will be covered with lead ornaments before the scaffolding is removed.

Later, other elements of the cathedral will be completed, after which the reconstruction of the roof can begin.

The five-year deadline was abandoned after restoration work was delayed for several months after a fire melted more than 300 tons of lead on the roof, contaminating the entire environment with toxic particles that are not so easy to remove.

In the first winter, due to strong winds, officials had to stop work several times, and in the early 2020s, France announced a quarantine to fight the spread of the coronavirus.

Nearly five years after the fire, three investigating judges are still trying to figure out what caused it.

An initial investigation revealed that it was most likely an accident, with one version being an electrical fault or an unextinguished cigarette.

Macron said a tender would be launched to create six contemporary stained glass windows for the cathedral. It’s the only 21st-century accent in a historic building that will otherwise be restored as it was.

Macron also announced that a museum dedicated to Notre Dame, its history, art and ongoing reconstruction will be established in central Paris.