The bells of Notre-Dame de Paris rang out for the first time since the 2019 fire

“It’s a beautiful, important, symbolic step,” welcomed Philippe Jost, head of the public establishment responsible for the restoration of the cathedral, less than a month before the reopening of the building which will take place on December 7.

The eight bells of the north belfry of Notre-Dame de Paris, which is preparing to reopen on December 7, rang out on Friday November 8 for the first time since the fire which ravaged the cathedral in 2019. Shortly before 10:30 a.m., the bells , powered by motors, began to sound one by one.

“It’s a beautiful, important, symbolic step,” greeted Philippe Jost, head of the public establishment responsible for the restoration of the cathedral. “All the bells together, it’s the first time” since the fire of April 2019, he stressed, less than a month before the reopening of the cathedral, which will take place on December 7. “Everything is not yet perfect. We are going to resolve it perfectly but this first attempt is conclusive”, declared Alexandre Gougeon, project manager for the refitting of the bells, welcoming “a great outcome”. Individual bell-by-bell tests were conducted on Thursday.

This sound signal marks a further step in the resurrection of one of the largest cathedrals in the West, listed as a UNESCO world heritage site, and one of the most visited monuments in Europe. During the fire of April 15, 2019, the flames reached part of the north belfry of the building, which had to be restored.