A a big week of the reopening with great fanfare of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris and the return of the public, the weekend of December 7 and 8, it is through a stroll by the Head of State, broadcast live in the morning on several French and international channels, that the reconstructed cathedral is finally visible.
“Even more beautiful than before, in the rediscovered brilliance of the blondness of the stones and the color of the chapels,” wrote the president in a document distributed to the media. This “project of the century” constituted a “challenge that many considered insane and that we will meet this December 7,” he adds.
In a bad position politically, Emmanuel Macron is betting a lot on this meeting, which he elevated to the rank of “French pride” with the successful Olympic Games last summer.
He has invited a large number of foreign leaders next weekend in the hope of making it a global event, but the list of those present is not yet known, and Pope Francis has preferred to go to Corsica one day. week later rather than in Paris.
The president for a time hoped to speak in the cathedral during the reopening, but after tough negotiations with the diocese, he will speak in the square only. All 2,000 people who contributed to the work have been invited, of whom at least 1,300 should be present.
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“This final site visit is an opportunity to thank them in particular, from wood craftsmen to metal and stone craftsmen, from scaffolders to roofers, from campanists to art restorers, from gilders to masons and sculptors, from carpenters to organ builders, architects, archaeologists, engineers and planners to logistical or administrative functions,” said Emmanuel Macron.
Patrons are also in the spotlight, while the construction project of the century, which cost some 700 million euros, was financed exclusively by donations.
The work made it possible to clean the dirt accumulated over the decades, and the “immaculate whiteness” of the Catholic building looks dazzling “like never before”, according to the presidential entourage.
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A tragic fire and a gigantic reconstruction
The flames had notably ravaged the roof and the frame of this masterpiece of Gothic art from the 12th century, which is among the most visited monuments in Europe.
The spire of Viollet-le-Duc, which collapsed from a height of 93 meters, was reconstructed identically.
Broadcast around the world, the fire, the causes of which have still not been determined, caused a wave of global emotion.
In a journey of around ten stages, from the square to the framework, via the nave, the crossing of the transept or even the Saint-Marcel chapel, the visit has been designed to show the main achievements of this titanic site .
At each stop, Emmanuel Macron, accompanied by his wife and the Archbishop of Paris Laurent Ulrich, will speak with some of the speakers who worked to resurrect Notre-Dame. Among them, the Belgian architect and landscaper Bas Smets, who designed the new square, Guillaume Bardet, the designer who created the new liturgical furniture, Jean-Louis Bidet, one of the carpenters, Marie Pouliot and Marie Parant, painting restorers mural, or Pascal Prunet, chief architect of historic monuments.
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