What it's like now inside the beloved Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral
Millions watched on television in horror on April 15, 2019, as plumes of fire shot up from the Notre-Dame de Paris, one of the world's oldest and most celebrated cathedrals. At first, the devastation seemed nearly total, with much of the roof and the iconic spire lost to flames. But today, more than five years later, visitors once more pour into its sanctuary, eager to see how the $1 billion restoration work has progressed.
I was lucky enough to visit on Easter Sunday this year, a day filled with Masses and special events. Thousands of families - tourists and locals alike - stood patiently for hours in line to get inside, to attend a Mass or just have a chance to see the remarkable restoration.
The interior of the cathedral reopened to the public on Dec. 8, although much restoration work still remains to be done. Giant cranes hang over the building, but thousands of people a day line up to see the rebuilt interior.
Larger than a football field, the inside of the cathedral now glows with oatmeal-colored walls and cavernous vaulted ceilings, after the controversial decision to wash them with a latex solution, obscuring the old soot and candle smoke of the centuries. If you're used to seeing gray, grimy walls in ancient buildings, you may be startled to walk in and see the light-filled interior.
The French government, which owns Notre-Dame, made the decision in 2019 to rebuild the cathedral as it was before the fire, and vowed to do it within five years - a deadline that was exceeded only by a few months. There have been some changes, including a modern bronze main altar, baptismal font and lectern. Some people would have preferred a more traditional style, but the new style is not jarring.
Fortunately for posterity, the cathedral's three magnificent medieval rose windows, created in the 13th century, were saved from the inferno. The sanctuary is covered with stained glass, thanks to an architectural innovation of the time. The so-called flying buttresses pulled the weight of the roof outside the structure, meaning that the interior walls could be opened up for spectacular displays of leaded and stained glass. The ancient 8,000-pipe organ was also saved and restored, removing toxic dust that had settled there from the collapsed lead roof.
You could spend hours looking around at all the details, but I like to attend a service when I visit remarkable churches. That's when they show their true selves, including the faith of the worshipers. If you can go to a High Mass, also known as a Gregorian Mass, you'll see the worship at its finest.
No ancient European cathedral is complete without its holy relics, which are venerated by the faithful as sacred artifacts from various saints and the life of Jesus.
Notre-Dame offers its believers the following: the remnants of the "holy crown of thorns," which biblical accounts say was placed mockingly on Jesus' head by Roman soldiers during his crucifixion. Also, a piece of the cross used in the crucifixion, and a nail from the cross.
The relics were rescued from the 2019 fire in dramatic fashion, involving a chain of police and firefighters, and moved temporarily to the Louvre. They were recently returned to Notre- Dame with pomp and ceremony, to be displayed in a newly built reliquary. The public can see them on the first Friday of every month.
One thing that surprised me on my visit: Even though the cathedral was absolutely jammed with people, it was relatively quiet.
Visitors couldn't help gasping when they entered and got their first looks, but otherwise seemed more solemn and respectful than is often the case.
Hopefully, they appreciated the five years of slavishly devoted work by some 2,000 sculptors, engineers, art restorers, stonemasons, carpenters, roofers, iron workers to bring this church back to life. And it still continues today.
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Timeline of Notre-Dame de Paris
1163: The cathedral was built between 1163 and 1260, in French Gothic style.
1789: During the French Revolution, many statues and decorative elements of the cathedral were destroyed and it was at one time used as a warehouse. The 28 statues of saints were beheaded, mistaken for French kings, and some of the bells were removed and melted down.
1804: Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself emperor of France with the pope in attendance in Notre-Dame, and portions of the cathedral were restored. But the property continued to decay, and there was talk of demolishing it.
1831: "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" by Victor Hugo is published and becomes a massive best-seller, sparking a campaign to restore the cathedral.
1844: King Luis Phillippe orders that the cathedral be restored. A grander spire than the one destroyed during the French Revolution is constructed.
1991: For the 800th anniversary of the cathedral, a 10-year-long restoration project repaired decorative elements that had fallen off, gargoyles, turrets and sculptures. The stone exterior was also cleaned of centuries of pollution.
2019: On April 15, a fire broke out in the attic and spread across the roof and spire before firefighters were alerted. They prioritized saving the two towers, because their heavy bells could have destroyed the interior if they fell. But 750 tons of debris. including toxic lead dust, fell into the sanctuary from the roof and spire.
2021: Two years of cleaning up from the fire and shoring up the structure meant that reconstruction could finally begin. Because the church is owned by the French government, the decision was to rebuild it as it was before.
2024: The new roof is completed in March. In September, eight massive tower bells returned after cleaning, with three new bells added later. In December the church's doors were symbolically reopened and the pipe organ's 8,000 pipes could be heard for the first time since being covered with toxic dust, as the public was allowed inside for the first ceremonies and Masses.
2025: Construction continues on the massive project, hoped to be completed by 2027.
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If you go
Address: Notre-Dame Cathedral of Paris, 6 Parvis Notre-Dame, Place Jean-Paul II, 75004 Paris
The cathedral is open and free to visit, 7:50 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays-Fridays (until 10 p.m. on Thursdays); 8:15 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays.
English language website: notredamedeparis.fr/en/
The famous "crown of thorns" is on display intermittently - check the website.
Due to gruelingly long lines, it's highly advisable to make an advance timed reservation at the above website. They can be made two days to several hours in advance. You don't need to reserve to attend a Mass; arrive 20 minutes early and find the special line. Here's the Mass schedule: notredamedeparis.fr/en/pray/services-masses/
If you're disabled, talk directly to the staff at the far left of the cathedral for special entry.
Here's the schedule of sacred music concerts (must buy tickets) billetterie-musiquesacree.mapado.com/en
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