Notre-Dame nears completion five years after fire
STORY: The reconstruction of Paris’ Notre-Dame cathedral is nearing completion five years after a major blaze ravaged the iconic monument.
On April 15, 2019, a major fire broke out at the cathedral.
The roof burst into flames – engulfing the spire and almost toppling over the main bell towers.
The day is still seared into the minds of Parisians.
Albert Cohen says he was cycling over a bridge when he saw flames.
"I was able to get close on my bike. And I was thinking, it was going to be the end of Notre-Dame."
But the scaffolding, which has surrounded the cathedral’s facade since the start of reconstruction, is slowly disappearing – and a public reopening is in sight.
Some 500 workers have helped restore the monument.
Emma Roux is one of them.
The stained-glass artisan was first called to help remove Notre-Dame’s stained-glass windows.
The stint then grew into restoration work.
She calls their efforts the “work of a lifetime.”
"There's been a good side, since we rediscovered the monument. We were able to conduct archeological digs, which we couldn't have done, and we made exceptional discoveries. And even in terms of the paintings, cleaning up the paintings, they found things that were hidden underneath the dirt. This could have been revealed during a partial renovation work, but now, we are lucky to have a global vision of what Notre-Dame was before."
Notre-Dame officials say the cost so far has been over $587 million and, thanks to massive donations, there will be money left over to keep investing in the building.
It remains unclear what exactly caused the fire. French authorities have said an electrical fault or a burning cigarette may have been responsible.
The re-opening is scheduled for December, and is currently running on schedule, according to the official leading the project.
