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First glimpse inside restored Notre-Dame cathedral five years after devastating fire

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First glimpse inside restored Notre-Dame cathedral five years after devastating fire

As the world-famous Notre-Dame cathedral burned in a devastating 2019 fire, Parisians watched on in tears.

Now, after more than five years of frenetic reconstruction work, the world has been given a first glimpse inside the revived 12th-century landmark.

Today, President Emmanuel Macron is visiting the site to see the restored interiors for himself before the Gothic cathedral reopens for its first worship next month.

The televised visit is set to usher a series of events leading up to the reopening of the cathedral – the reconstruction of which has been hailed as a symbol of national unity and French can-do spirit.

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Brigitte Macron (2R) greets Paris’ archbishop Laurent Ulrich, (C) next to Paris’ mayor Anne Hidalgo (L), Ile-de-France’s President Valerie Pecresse and French President Emmanuel Macron (R) during a visit to Notre-Dame cathedral. Pic: Reuters

epa11747155 French President Emmanuel Macron (C) and First Lady Brigitte Macron (L) during a visit to Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral in Paris, France, 29 November 2024. French President Macron is visiting the cathedral's construction site on 29 November, to thank the donors and people who worked to rebuild the monument after it was severely damaged in a fire that broke out on 15 April 2019. The Paris Cathedral will be officially inaugurated after nearly six years of renovation work on 07 December
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French President Emmanuel Macron (C) and First Lady Brigitte Macron (L) during a visit to Notre-Dame. Pic: Reuters

French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron during a visit to Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral in Paris, France, 29 November 2024. French President Macron is visiting the cathedral's construction site on 29 November, to thank the donors and people who worked to rebuild the monument after it was severely damaged in a fire that broke out on 15 April 2019. The Paris Cathedral will be officially inaugurated after nearly six years of renovation work on 07 December 2024. CHRISTOPHE PE
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French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron during the visit. Pic: Reuters

Construction of Notre-Dame began in 1163 and was largely completed by 1260, with adaptations made in the following centuries.

Rising up from the Ile de la Cite, it has stood as a symbol of the city of Paris and French Christianity ever since. But in April 2019, a fire broke out inside the cathedral’s roof space.

FILE PHOTO: Smoke billows as fire engulfs the spire of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France, April 15, 2019. Picture taken April 15, 2019. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo
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Smoke billows as fire engulfs the spire of Notre-Dame in 2019. File pic: Reuters

FILE PHOTO: Sparks fill the air as Paris Fire brigade members spray water to extinguish flames as the Notre Dame Cathedral burns in Paris, France, April 15, 2019. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer/File Photo
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File pic: Reuters

By the time it was extinguished, the cathedral’s wooden spire had collapsed, most of the wooden roof had been destroyed, and the cathedral’s upper walls were severely damaged.

Parisians wept as they saw fire rip through the landmark, and the grieving only grew when the extent of the devastation became clear.

A woman cries as she attends the Chrism Mass, as part of the Holy Week, at the Saint Sulpice Church in Paris, Wednesday, April 17, 2019. The mass took place days after a fire partially destroyed the Notre Dame Cathedral in the early evening of April 15. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
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A woman cries as she attends the Chrism Mass days after a fire partially destroyed the Notre-Dame cathedral. Pic: Reuters

A woman reacts as she attends a vigil in Paris, Tuesday April 16, 2019. Firefighters declared success Tuesday in a more than 12-hour battle to extinguish an inferno engulfing Paris' iconic Notre Dame cathedral that claimed its spire and roof, but spared its bell towers and the purported Crown of Christ. (AP Photo/Kamil Zihnioglu)
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Parisians in tears at a vigil following the 2019 Notre-Dame fire. Pic: AP

“I have come to be with an old friend in its last moments,” one onlooker told Sky News at the time, as they stood staring across the River Seine in disbelief.

Eight months later and Notre-Dame was unable to hold its annual Christmas Mass – for the first time since 1803.

The cathedral has been shrouded in scaffolding for the last five years.

Scaffolding inside the nave of the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral, which was damaged in a devastating fire four years ago, as restoration works continue, in Paris, France, April 14, 2023. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/Pool
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Scaffolding inside the nave of Notre-Dame. Pic: Reuters

General view inside the Notre Dame Cathedral where Pope Benedict XVI celebrates vespers in Paris on September 12, 2008. Pope Benedict XVI starts a four-day visit to Paris and Lourdes. REUTERS/Alberto Pizzoli/Pool (FRANCE)
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A view inside the Cathedral in 2008, before the fire. Pic: Reuters

Investigators looked into the cause of the fire, but found no evidence of a deliberate act. However, it emerged a costly mistake was made soon after the blaze broke out.

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A guard had been sent to investigate reports of a fire, but was sent to the wrong place and could see no sign of the looming disaster. The error was only discovered 15 minutes later, delaying the response.

While it is unclear why the fire started, French authorities believe an electrical fault or a burning cigarette may have been the cause.

Notre-Dame is due to reopen officially to visitors on December 8, though there is expected to be a huge public demand – and long queues – to see the cathedral’s restored interior.

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