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Notre-Dame ablaze -

On the evening of April 15, 2019, a fire broke out under the eaves of Notre-Dame Cathedral's roof.

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Unholy inferno -

The unholy inferno spread rapidly. The blaze tore through the wooden lattice structure holding up the church's lead roof. Soon, the steeple and spire of the historic landmark were engulfed in flames.

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Under control -

Over 400 firefighters were able to tame most of the northern tower's flames by late evening, and worked through the night to extinguish the rest.

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The damage done -

Fortunately, many of the cathedral's collection of priceless Catholic relics and artworks emerged largely unscathed, and the famed rose windows remained intact. However, structural damage was significant.

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Shocking event -

France was in shock, as was the international community. The 850-year-old Gothic masterpiece had been undergoing restoration work when the blaze took hold. Now, parts of the iconic structure resembled a charred shell.

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A pledge to rebuild -

French President Emmanuel Macron, who rushed to the site even as the cathedral still burned on that fateful evening, declared that Notre-Dame would be rebuilt "even more beautifully"—and that he wanted the work done within five years.

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Restoration begins -

Thus began a hugely complex reconstruction project involving hundreds of craftspeople, skilled artisans including quarry workers, carpenters, mortar makers, and master stonecutters, led by three architects specializing in historic monuments: Philippe Villeneuve, Rémi Fromont, and Pascal Prunet.

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Reopening on schedule -

Notre-Dame de Paris was set to reopen on December 8.

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Macron unveils the renewed cathedral -

On November 29, President Macron conducted a televised tour to reveal the incredible restoration of the cathedral. He gave a speech to those who worked to repair and restore Notre-Dame, praising them for doing the "impossible."

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Major repairs -

Areas of the church that were seriously damaged in the fire, such as the altar, have been fully restored. Here, the top photo shows the altar surrounded by rubble following the fire in 2019. Below is a photo taken in November 2024, revealing a pristinely cleaned and restored space. 

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Long overdue -

Not only was the damage repaired, but the entire cathedral was given a much-needed cleaning. The darkened stone is now bright and sparkling once again, the woodwork is buffed and shining, and the paintings and statues have been unearthed from layers of grime. This photo of the nave from 2024 (top) exhibits a strong contrast to the cathedral's dull appearance in 2017 (bottom).  

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What did the restoration project involve? -

But meeting this deadline required a Herculean effort by all involved. It took two years just to secure and stabilize the structure so that restorers could work safely within the church.

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How the project unfolded -

One of the first priorities was to rebuild the cathedral's wooden framework. Not for nothing was the medieval roof called "the forest," such was the amount of this natural material used in the original construction. The roof was rebuilt identically, using solid oak and the same techniques applied by carpenters 850 years previously.

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A new roof -

Reconstruction of the roof structure was completed in January 2023, confounding some experts familiar with medieval restoration work who said it could take 15 to 20 years to rebuild the roof.

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Reconstruction of the walls -

As the new roof took shape, the cathedral's damaged buttress walls required strengthening in order to support the weight of the wooden framework. In some cases, these were replaced due to weakening by the fire.

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Attention to detail -

The dismantling of the scaffolding at the beginning of November 2024 revealed the new roof of the nave. The stonemason's art is apparent in the intricacy of the decorative elements, again mirroring that of the original design.

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Consolidation -

Similarly, Notre-Dame's collapsed vaulted ceilings were completely restored. Stonemasons also consolidated standing ceilings, and remediated damage to the extrados, the upper and outer curves of the arches.

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Paris inspired! -

The undoubted highlight of the project was the unveiling of the new spire. Immortalized in history, film, and literature, the previous spire, fitted in 1859 and designed by French architect Viollet-le-Duc, replaced the cathedral's original 13th-century spire. Made to resemble the one burnt down, the replacement oak spire is 315 feet (96 m) tall and topped with a golden rooster and cross.

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Gargoyle groupies -

In this candid image, construction workers take a break from the task at hand and appear grouped together against two of the cathedral's many fiendish-looking gargoyles.

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Work beyond the cathedral -

With key structural elements like vaults and buttress walls having been repaired or replaced, construction workers began focusing on the area immediately in front of the cathedral, the square originally known as the Parvis Notre-Dame but today called Place Jean-Paul II.

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Designing the reliquary -

Much of the restoration work on Notre-Dame took place away from central Paris. Here, a welder works on a gold frame of the reliquary of the Crown of Thorns in Saint Remy-les-Chevreuse. The Saint-Jacques workshops and the Coubertin foundry are creating a reliquary shrine that will be installed inside Notre-Dame.

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Artisans' handiwork -

Highly-skilled artisans have handcrafted glass pebbles to go on the reliquary of the Crown of Thorns.

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Precision craftsmanship -

Adorning the reliquary are dozens of metal thorns covered with fine gold, an exquisite feature that exemplifies the metalworker's art.

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Beaten in bronze -

At the Barthelemy Art foundry at Crest, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of southeastern France, bronzers work on pieces intended for Notre-Dame. Designed by French artist and designer Guillaume Bardet, the cathedral's tabernacle is awaiting a final patina along with the rest of the liturgical furniture before returning to Paris in time for the reopening in December.

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Seeing the light -

Meanwhile in Lourdes, votive candles are being specially produced for the occasion. In fact, Notre-Dame de Paris will be equipped with a new votive candle design with a blue wick. These are entirely biodegradable, and whose manufacture has been entrusted to the Ciergerie de Lourdes factory.

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New bells for Notre-Dame -

Three new bells, including the bell used during the Paris Olympic Games, were placed into the cathedral on November 7, 2024.

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Winning ways -

The Olympic bell, used during the Summer Games to mark the victories of athletes, was installed above the altar of Notre-Dame alongside the two smaller bells, named Chiara and Carlos.

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Back on the tourist trail -

As the date of the cathedral's reopening nears, the anticipation among locals and visitors to Paris is palpable. Even though some restoration work is still to be completed, the venerable building is taking center stage in tourists' selfies.

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Notre-Dame's eclectic history -

And the western facade of Notre-Dame de Paris remains as it was back in the Middle Ages. This engraving from 1669 shows the old baptistery on the left and the fountain in the parvis.

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Royal patronage -

Over the centuries, Notre-Dame has witnessed monumental events in world history. For example, Henry VI of England's coronation as King of France when aged just 10. The coronation took place during the Hundred Years' War, Henry's accession to the throne being in accordance with the Treaty of Troyes of 1420.

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Napoleon's coronation -

On December 2, 1804, Napoleon I broke with tradition by having his grandiose coronation held in Notre-Dame. Up until then, French kings had been crowned in Reims Cathedral.

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Saluting victory -

A mass celebrating the Allied victory at the end of the Second World War was held in the cathedral on May 9, 1945. French General Charles de Gaulle is seen here saluting the Republican Guard before the ceremony.

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Cultural icon -

The fire in 2019 left a hole in the heart of Paris. But the restoration of Notre-Dame has preserved a cultural icon and symbol of France that has endured for over 800 years. 

Sources: (The Guardian) (The New York Times) (PEFC) (AFAR) (Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris)

See also: Famous buildings lost or damaged by fire

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