A Must-Visit in Paris... Notre-Dame Cathedral Reopens After 5 Years

Craftsmen Worked for 5 Years and 6 Months
Most Restoration Costs Covered by Donations

The Notre-Dame Cathedral in France, damaged by fire several years ago, has reappeared after a lengthy restoration process lasting five and a half years. Despite setbacks such as concerns over lead contamination and the COVID-19 pandemic, the work was ultimately completed safely.

According to Yonhap News Agency, President Emmanuel Macron visited the Notre-Dame Cathedral restoration site on the 29th of last month (local time). At the time, President Macron reportedly marveled, saying, "The cathedral has been restored, recreated, and simultaneously rebuilt."

Notre-Dame Cathedral before the 2019 fire (left) and the current interior view after restoration. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

In fact, the Notre-Dame Cathedral has been fully restored to its original appearance, yet it now possesses a somewhat different atmosphere. This is thanks to the exterior walls and stained glass that have been cleaned of dust accumulated over 160 years. The glass, having regained its original color and light, allows sunlight to pass through, making the interior of the cathedral brighter.

According to France's BFM TV, the cathedral restoration was by no means an easy journey. Before starting the restoration work, securing safety took as long as two and a half years, and the project faced the risk of suspension twice.

In August 2019, lead contamination issues arose around the cathedral, halting the work. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic struck, causing another suspension of the project.

The Notre-Dame Cathedral's roof damaged after the 2019 fire. Restoration work took more than five years. Photo by Yonhap News

The restoration involved 2,000 French experts, including carpenters, stonemasons, organ builders, and scaffolding makers, who worked diligently to accurately reproduce the centuries-old structure.

The reconstruction cost reached 700 million euros (approximately 1 trillion KRW). However, the French government did not cover the entire expense. The restoration was funded by donations totaling 846 million euros (about 1.2 trillion KRW) from 340,000 people across 150 countries worldwide. Most donors were French, but there were also a significant number of foreign donors, including from the United States.

The wooden roof, charred by the fire, was rebuilt using 2,000 oak trees, including 1,200 supplied by the French Timber Forest Association. Fortunately, the large pipe organ inside the cathedral was preserved without severe damage despite the fire. Pipe experts carefully dismantled each of the 8,000 pipes, cleaned them all, and successfully reassembled them during the restoration.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.