On April 15, 2019, the whole world held its breath as it watched Notre-Dame de Paris, a Gothic jewel in the heart of the French capital, ravaged by fire. The images of this iconic monument in flames shocked millions of people across the globe. Thanks to the work of the firefighters, the tragedy was avoided and most of its structure, its facade and its foundations resisted the disaster. From the first hours following the fire, an extraordinary mobilization was organized. Under the leadership of the State and thanks to donations from all over the world, a colossal project is being set up with the main objective of faithfully reconstructing the spire imagined by Viollet-le-Duc.
A building steeped in history
A symbol of French history and culture, Notre-Dame de Paris is much more than a simple monument. Built over more than a century, the cathedral saw the light of day in 1163, when Bishop Maurice de Sully launched this monumental project. Completed in 1272, it established itself as one of the jewels of Gothic architecture. Over the centuries, it has survived major upheavals. During the French Revolution, it was transformed into the Temple of Reason and stripped of its treasures. Restored by Viollet-le-Duc in the 19th century, Notre-Dame regained its splendor and acquired its famous spire. This monumental building, listed as a UNESCO world heritage site, has become one of the most visited sites in Europe with 13 million visitors per year.
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A titanic reconstruction
The challenge of rebuilding it was therefore immense. The project, described as the “construction site of the century”, is distinguished by its scale and complexity. For five years, more than 2,000 artisans worked tirelessly to restore this masterpiece. Among them, carpenters, stonemasons, master glassmakers and goldsmiths, coming from all over France. The reconstruction of Notre-Dame followed careful steps. Firstly, it was necessary to secure the building weakened by the fire. Then, the frame, completely destroyed, was faithfully rebuilt from carefully selected French oaks. The emblematic spire of Viollet-le-Duc has been recreated identically thanks to a clever mix of modern technologies and artisanal know-how. The stained glass windows and the monumental organ, damaged but spared by the flames, were the subject of a meticulous restoration, mobilizing master glassmakers and exceptional organ builders. Finally, the interior decoration and works of art, carefully preserved, were returned to their place, marking the completion of this titanic project.
A reopening with great fanfare
The reopening of Notre-Dame, scheduled for December 7 and 8, 2024, is celebrated with a series of events. On television in particular, several special programs and documentaries, retracing the five years of restoration, are offered to viewers. France 2 notably broadcast Emmanuel Macron’s last site visit in a special program, this Friday, November 29. For its part, TF1 offered a two-part documentary on restoration artisans entitled Notre-Dame, the construction site of their livesthis Sunday, December 1 (available on the TF1+ platform). On December 3, France 2 still offered an immersion into the daily life of the craftsmen who worked on the site with the documentary Our Lady Resurrection at 9:05 p.m., followed by the documentary “Le souffle de Notre-Dame” devoted to the restoration of the monumental organ. These programs can be (re)watched on the france.tv website.
On the 7th and 8th the public service channel will go into special edition. From 6:30 a.m., the Télématin teams will follow the reopening and throughout the day special broadcasts and dedicated news programs will be offered. Finally, France Télévisions will broadcast an exceptional concert on Saturday evening presented by Stéphane Bern, bringing together classical and contemporary artists and a first inaugural mass, broadcast on Mondovision, will officially mark the rebirth of the cathedral on Sunday.
