In 1345, the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris was finished, after construction started under King Louis VII in 1163. The cathedral in all its majesty stands on an island in the Seine, Île de la Cité (translates to “City Island). Notre Dame is known for its rose windows along its north and south walls, depicting Biblical stories through tens of colorful panels. For example, the south rose window depicts the Last Judgement through 84 different stained-glass panels, according to Friends of Notre-Dame Paris. The cathedral, for nearly seven centuries, stood in Paris as a wondrous piece of architecture, admired by millions around the world. Then disaster struck in April of 2019.
I remember when Notre Dame caught fire. I was in an airport restaurant with my family, about to head somewhere for spring break. The TV in front of me broke the news of the fire. I reread the headline “NOTRE DAME IN FLAMES” over and over. My family and I couldn’t believe it. Neither could the rest of the world. This magnificent piece of architecture was burning, the hoses spewing water seemed to do nothing. For fifteen hours Notre Dame burned, destroying the roof and the spires. The roof and the spires were undergoing much-needed reconstruction with “350 tons” of scaffolding on top when the fire occurred, resulting in them collapsing in the aisle of Notre Dame.
We do not know what started the fire, though it seems to be an accident. According to Architectural Digest, “Investigators deemed the fire to have been started by either a cigarette or a short circuit in the electrical system.” Adding, “Remarkably, there was relatively little damage to the interior of the cathedral beyond that caused by smoke and water.”
On Friday, November 8, Notre Dame rang its bells for the first time in five years. When the fire reached the belfry, the bells from the northern tower were carefully removed and cleaned of debris, soot, and other particles that had been trapped there as a result of the fire. Weeks after the bells rang again, on November 29, French President Emmanuel Macron was the first to visit the restored Notre Dame. France24 reports that over 250 companies from around the world came to help. CBS News says that restoration cost around $700 million. While researching for this article, one new feature stood out to me the most. Sure, contractors installed systems in the cathedral in case there is a fire, but the reconstruction of the spire is powerful. The 96-meter spire has been restored identically to what it once was before the fire. The took the same design from 1859, designed by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc (an architect), and applied to the new spire. That’s not all. It is adorned with a golden rooster, designed by Philippe Villeneuve (he’s been leading the restoration process. To the French a rooster is a symbol of courage and bravery. Villeneuve said to BBC that the “wings of fire” are a reminder to everyone that “the cathedral can be reborn from the ashes, like a phoenix.”
emmadrale Notre-Dame de Paris is a monument admired by the world. It will reopen tomorrow, December 7. The reopening breathes a wave of new hope to the people of France, and of the world. Bonne chance, Notre Dame, as you enter a new era of courage and prosperity.
