Notre-Dame de Paris: the first photos revealed before its reopening

REOPENING NOTRE DAME. Five years after the fire, the cathedral was unveiled during the last site visit by the President of the Republic.

&A week before the reopening to the public of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris on the weekend of December 7 and 8, the rebuilt cathedral is being unveiled in images for the first time since the fire in 2019. Emmanuel Macron visited it this Friday, November 29, during his final visit to the construction site before its reopening. The images of his visit reveal a sublime cathedral of a “white” immaculate” after a project that cost some 700 million euros, financed exclusively by donations.

The work has indeed made it possible to clean up the dirt that has accumulated over decades.  “Even more beautiful than before, in the “rediscovered brilliance of the blondness of the stones and the colour of the chapels”, “writes the president in a press release. This “project of the century” was a “challenge that many considered insane” and that we will hold this December 7th,” he added.

What is the program for the reopening of Notre-Dame de Paris ?

On December 7, the President of the Republic will give a speech and will once again stroll through the cathedral, this time accompanied by a large number of foreign leaders, a moment that will be broadcast live in the morning on several French and international channels. A major concert and a Sound & Light show will be organized on the forecourt and broadcast on France Télévisions. On the day of the reopening of the cathedral, visitors will be able to enter from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Among the new features on the program, the public will be able to discover the refurbished forecourt of the cathedral as well as a tour highlighting the restored works. Admission will remain free: “We maintain unchanged our position which is that, and several times recalled, of the church (…) in France on the necessary free access to churches and cathedrals. And recalled that this principle does not contradict the concern to safeguard religious heritage,” announced Mgr Ulrich. Only access to the Treasury – liturgical and historical objects – will require a paid ticket.

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How to reserve your place to go to Notre-Dame de Paris ?

A time slot booking application has been set up, called “Visit Companion”, the device can only accommodate a maximum of 3,000 visitors simultaneously. The application will soon be available for free download on the Android and Apple stores. Reservations will only be open the day before, the day before or the same day. Individual reservations will be possible at reopening, but for groups it will be for Pentecost 2025. 5 tour routes adapted to different visitors will be offered, including a route for pilgrims and one for families. They will be available in three languages: French, English and Spanish.

What are the opening hours of Notre-Dame de Paris ?

The first week of opening, the cathedral will be open from 3:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, then from 3:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, December 14 and Sunday, December 15. “On December 16, ordinary life will resume,” however, specified the rector of the cathedral, Mgr Olivier Ribadeau-Dumas, during a press conference in Paris, with an opening from 7:45 a.m. to 19 hours.

Is Notre-Dame Cathedral rebuilt identically ?

For a time, the reconstruction of Notre-Dame, and in particular its spire, was a subject of debate between those who advocated modernization and those who wanted it to be rebuilt identically. Almost a millennium after construction of the famous cathedral began, the general principle was to rebuild it identically, while giving it a “new lease of life” the building.

After considering a more contemporary version, this is indeed the decision that President Macron took in the summer of 2020, after consultation with the National Commission for Heritage and Architecture (CNPA), bringing together elected officials, experts and architects from the site. Among the sustainable materials used were lead for the roof and oak for the frame. “We have chosen continuity. We want to give back to the French, to the whole world, the cathedral they love,” justified Jean-Louis Georgelin, appointed head of the establishment responsible for of the reconstruction.

What date is set for the reopening of Notre-Dame de Paris ?

The reopening of Notre-Dame is scheduled for Sunday, December 8, 2024. “In 2024, you will see in the sky of Paris shining the spire which will no longer be the spire of Viollet-Le-Duc but of Philippe Villeneuve [the architect in charge of the reconstruction – Editor's note]!" had declared General Jean-Louis Georgelin at the start of the work. But the reopening of the cathedral does not mean the end of the work. The restoration work on the cathedral will continue for another 4-5 years.