Five years after fire, a shining Notre Dame is ready to reopen its doors
| Paris
Restoring the Notre Dame cathedral has been profound for people like archaeologist Doroth茅e Chaoui-Derieux.
Since the 2019 fire that saw Notre Dame鈥檚 famous spire burn to ash, Ms. Chaoui-Derieux and her team of 20 have unearthed an abundance of medieval treasures. They include forgotten tombs, headless sculptures, and the fragmented remains of a vibrantly colored 13th-century rood screen 鈥� the partition that separates the choir from the nave 鈥� buried beneath the cathedral floor.
鈥淲e鈥檝e literally had our hands in 2,000 years of history, excavating and digging up the past,鈥� says Ms. Chaoui-Derieux, chief curator of heritage at the Regional Archaeological Service of cultural affairs for the Paris region. 鈥淥ur goal is to make sure this medieval cathedral, and all its history, comes back to life.鈥�
Why We Wrote This
After a fire ravaged the Notre Dame cathedral in 2019, few believed the Parisian icon could be quickly restored to its former glory. But only five years later, it is set to reopen 鈥� lighter, brighter, and better protected from disaster than ever.
As Paris鈥� beloved cathedral gets its last-minute touches before it reopens to the public Dec. 8, people like Ms. Chaoui-Derieux who have worked tirelessly on Notre Dame鈥檚 restoration say the public is in for more than a few surprises.
鈥淭he cathedral was very dark; it had accumulated centuries鈥� worth of dust,鈥� says Ms. Chaoui-Derieux. 鈥淣ow, people will find bright-colored stone and clean stained-glass windows. We鈥檙e going to rediscover a cathedral bursting with light.鈥�
In the aftermath of the fire, when French President Emmanuel Macron promised to restore Notre Dame in five years, many said it couldn鈥檛 be done. But hundreds of millions of euros in donations poured in from around the world, and over 1,000 restorers, artisans, and craftspeople have risen to the challenge of Mr. Macron鈥檚 steep timeline.
Now, they say, the public can expect a revitalized cathedral that incorporates old and new, respecting tradition while also breathing new life into the iconic cathedral.
鈥淓veryone involved 鈥� from City Hall and the Catholic diocese to artisans and academics 鈥� has put everything they have into this project,鈥� says Sylvie Sagnes, an anthropologist at the French National Centre for Scientific Research and member of a multidisciplinary research team on the Notre Dame restoration. 鈥淲e all wanted to respect this national monument that generates so much emotion for people.鈥�
Notre Dame鈥檚 universal appeal
The world watched in disbelief as the Notre Dame cathedral caught fire on April 15, 2019. By the following day, the cathedral鈥檚 wooden spire had collapsed, its upper walls were damaged, and most of its wooden roof was destroyed. The fire caused an outpouring of generosity, with individuals and businesses donating upward of $1 billion toward restoration efforts within two years.
Notre Dame 鈥渋s both a religious and a cultural monument, and has universal value to people,鈥� says Nathalie Heinich, a French sociologist and author. 鈥淭o see a building that had remained identical since its construction be destroyed, it created a rare emotional reaction. There was a sense that both authenticity and antiquity 鈥� two fundamental heritage values 鈥� had been affected.鈥�
Though the fire was traumatic, it provided an opportunity to look at Notre Dame through a new lens. Early on, some called to restore the cathedral using contemporary design. But those ideas were eventually scrapped as heritage experts pushed for a restoration that respected the vision of Eug猫ne Viollet-le-Duc, one of the architects who oversaw a major restoration of the cathedral in the mid-19th century.
In August, the National Commission on Heritage and Architecture unanimously opposed President Macron鈥檚 plans to replace stained glass windows in six chapels in the cathedral鈥檚 nave with more modern versions.
And despite an international competition to reimagine the rebuild of the cathedral鈥檚 famous spire, Mr. Macron ultimately opted to restore it to Viollet-le-Duc鈥檚 conception. Forty carpenters from French building company Le Bras Fr猫res meticulously studied the 19th-century sketches to re-create the medieval wooden spire.
鈥淲e used the same methods as in that era, except that this time we used electric machines to cut the pieces of wood,鈥� says carpenter Patrick Jouenne, who quit his job to become the lead carpenter on the spire rebuild. 鈥淚t was a challenge but also an honor to work for Notre Dame. You realize, wow, you can鈥檛 dream of anything better.鈥�
Decorating the cathedral
As the restoration moved forward, there was one thing that was not up for debate: the need for a fire alarm system. At the time of the fire in 2019, the centuries-old Notre Dame did not have any type of detection apparatus in place.
鈥淲e had to envision all the possible scenarios and necessary measures, keeping in mind the sheer size of Notre Dame, and the interaction between fire and ventilation,鈥� says Benjamin Truchot, project manager of the fire unit at the French National Institute for Industrial Environment and Risks, which relied on digital and scale physical models to create an innovative fire detection system.聽鈥淭hat was the big challenge: to offer a modern security system within such an ancient structure.鈥�
While architects were keen to respect traditional methods structurally, there has been more leeway when it comes to garb and artifacts within the church.
Fashion designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, who has dressed Madonna, Lady Gaga, and Pope John Paul II, says he was given free rein to design the liturgical garments for Notre Dame. The robes he came up with, made of off-white Scottish wool gabardine, feature sprays of red, blue, and yellow fragments surrounding a gold cross.
鈥淭he color represents all of us, humanity, the young and old coming together,鈥� said Mr. Castelbajac, from his Paris studio. 鈥淲e need a universal language.鈥�
Last month, the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee gave Notre Dame the official Olympic bell, which will join two smaller bells 鈥� named Chiara and Carlos 鈥� to be rung during Mass.
And on Dec. 11, Notre Dame鈥檚 traditional choir will step aside for a special concert by an amateur choir made up of nearly 100 craftspeople and artisans who took part in the restoration.
But part of Notre Dame is still indelibly rooted in tradition. Last week, as a statue of the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus that was saved during the fire made its way back to the cathedral in a public procession, there was a sense of Notre Dame鈥檚 resilience, its strength to pull itself up out of the ashes.
鈥淣otre Dame has continued to provide us with hope and renaissance,鈥� says Parisian Marie-Aline Girod, who took part in the procession. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the heart of Paris.鈥�
Editor鈥檚 note: This story was updated Dec. 6, the same day as publication, to correct the spelling of Doroth茅e Chaoui-Derieux鈥檚 name.
