Shropshire Star

In Pictures: Notre Dame rises from ashes after five years of fire restoration

French President Emmanuel Macron visited the Paris landmark ahead of it opening to the public next month.

By contributor By PA Reporters
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High view of the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral
The nave of the Notre Dame cathedral is seen while French President Emmanuel Macron visited the restored interiors of the monument on Friday (Sarah Meyssonnier/Pool via AP)

The restored interior of the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris has been unveiled more than five years since a fire devastated the landmark.

French President Emmanuel Macron visited the church to admire the repairs completed after the blaze on April 15 2019, and ahead of its reopening to the public on December 8.

The newly restored Notre Dame Cathedral
The newly restored Notre Dame cathedral was toured by French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday (Christophe Petit Tesson, pool via AP)
France Notre Dame
The repaired altar designed by French artist and designer Guillaume Bardet is seen in the heart of Notre Dame (Christophe Petit Tesson, pool via AP)
The inside of Notre Dame following the fire in 2019
The altar in 2019 surrounded by burnt timbers fallen from the roof (Christophe Petit Tesson, pool via AP)
France Notre Dame
The Macrons were taken high into the cathedral roof to see the detail of the repairs (Christophe Petit Tesson, pool via AP)

New stonework has been carefully pieced together to repair and fill the wounds that had left the cathedral’s insides exposed to the elements.

The restored ceiling
Gaping holes left in the vaulted ceilings and charred piles of debris are now gone. (Sarah Meyssonnier, pool via AP)
A view of part of a bas-relief outside Notre Dame
A view of part of a bas-relief on the outside of Notre Dame (Sarah Meyssonnier, pool via AP)
France Notre Dame
The western rose window with the organ pipes rising before it (Stephane de Sakutin, pool via AP)
Crowds of construction workers inside the restored Notre Dame cathedral
Mr Macron gave a speech to construction workers inside the building after visiting the restored interiors they had repaired (Sarah Meyssonnier, pool via AP)

Mr Macron entered via the cathedral’s giant and intricately carved front doors and stared up at the ceilings in wonder. He was accompanied by his wife, Brigitte, the archbishop of Paris and others.

Notre Dame cathedral following the fire
Powerful vacuum cleaners were used to first remove toxic dust released when the fire melted the cathedral’s lead roofs (Gareth Fuller/PA)
Firefighters at the Notre Dame cathedral fire
Firefighters in the remains of the Notre Dame cathedral in 2019 (Victoria Jones/PA)
The ceiling of Notre Dame Cathedral
The rebuilt soaring ceilings and cream stonework erase sombre memories of the devastating fire in 2019 (Christopher Petit Tesson, pool via AP)
Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron
President Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron visited the restored interiors of the cathedral on Friday (Sarah Meyssonnier, pool via AP)
The facade of Notre Dame Cathedral
The cathedral will reopen to the public on December 8 (Stephane de Sakutin, pool via AP)
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