Fire in the 850-year old iconic Notre Dame cathedral in Paris destroyed large portions of the building. It is a tourist attraction and people Travel from far off places to come here and enjoy the sights of the ancient structure. The fire happened in 2019 and now, after two years, the authorities have reconstructed much of the damaged portions. It is a treasure that has to be preserved for future generations.
Plans are there to reopen the Notre Dame cathedral to the public in 2024. It took them two years to restore the security of the cathedral.
The public body entrusted with the responsibility of conservation and restoration of the structure confirmed that the completion of the work followed the schedule. Soon after the disaster, there was assurance that the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris would be restored to the same standard it was prior to the fire.
It is a challenge for Paris
There were innumerable aspects that had to be taken into account to reconstruct an 850-year old monument like the Notre Dame cathedral. These included protection of the cathedral's gargoyles, reinforcement of the flying buttresses, and removal of burned scaffolding etcetera. Activities of this nature need careful handling by experts.They had to go back in time to locate and arrange for materials that had been used by those who built it more than 850 years ago.
That was a major task for the team and credit goes to them for their success. General Jean-Louis Georgelin is president of the organization responsible for the restoration. CNN quotes him saying: "That means that we're officially saying that the cathedral is now saved, that it's solid on its pillars, that its walls are solid." He made these remarks to a section of the media.
He assures that work is on to restore and rebuild portions of the Notre Dame cathedral to ensure reopening for services and public visits in 2024. In June 2019, Paris called for lead-content tests after the Notre Dame fire.
Reopening of the cathedral in Paris would be a victory
Georgelin goes on to add that the 2024 opening would be a "victory for all of France." It will also fulfill the promise President Emmanuel Macron made to the public.
He said it would take five years to complete the reconstruction. The blaze occurred in April 2019. Extensive investigation failed to establish the cause of the fire. In the opinion of prosecutors, it might have been from a cigarette or from a fault in the electrical system.
There was a debate on rebuilding of the Paris landmark, namely the Notre Dame cathedral. Former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe suggested a modern approach. However, President Macron preferred to retain the original design. Its spire was made of wood. He said:"Because that's what our history is worthy of. Because that's our deep destiny."
The cathedral in Paris set to reopen 5 years after the fire
The Notre Dame cathedral survived the fire in 2019.
It led to collapse of the wooden spire and extensive damages to the roof. It was a massive retraction work that there are plans to reopen it to public in 2024 – that would 5 years after the fire. It is an identity of Paris and attracts tourists. Tourism means revenue and businesses are already in the doldrums with travel restrictions related to Coronavirus in place. Added to that is the closure of the cathedral. Anyway, the authorities have indicated the probable date of reopening. Tour operators would welcome the news. They can go ahead with the designing of suitable packages for the tourists.
