Macron unveils first images of rebuilt Notre-Dame interior: “It’s even more beautiful”

ParisImages of the burning Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris went around the world. It was April 15, 2019. The fire destroyed the cathedral. Just over five and a half years later, on December 8, the rebuilt Notre-Dame will reopen its doors. This Friday, the first official images of the interior of the cathedral, one of the best-kept secrets, were released. So far only a few images – not authenticated – were released a few days ago by the American billionaire Elon Musk on his social network, X.

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Press visits to the works have been limited as much as possible in recent months to avoid the dissemination of any photographs or videos. The Diocese of Paris has agreed to make public the first images taking advantage of the visit of the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, to Notre-Dame this Friday morning.

In fact, the tenant of the Elysee played an important role in the days after the fire, when France was afflicted by the fire that had destroyed one of its symbols, and has been enthusiastically involved in the reconstruction. The president then promised that five years later Notre-Dame would reopen its doors, a record time that many thought unattainable. “It’s an exciting moment,” Macron admitted when he arrived at the cathedral. Although it reopens to the public, there will still be work to be done, especially on the outside of the temple.

Great brightness

From the first images of the interior, broadcast by France 2, attention is drawn to the brightness and clarity of the walls, very different from those of the cathedral before the fire, characterized by the stone darkened by the passage of the time “It is even more beautiful than before, in the renewed glow of the clarity of the stones and the color of the chapels,” Macron said. “It’s sublime,” he added. The renovation mixes tradition and modernity: the reconstruction work has been done with techniques from the Middle Ages and respecting the sacred character of the temple, but at the same time it has opted to introduce contemporary elements, such as designer furniture, clearly visible at the altar The new Notre-Dame it will also have three tapestries by Miquel Barceló that will be located in the chapel of the north side nave.

After visiting the Gothic temple accompanied by the Archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich, the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, and his wife, Brigitte Macron, the president received the 2,000 protagonists of the reconstruction: workers, artisans , electricians, architects and firefighters, who have filled the heart of the cathedral. “You have achieved the impossible – he told them -. You have shown the world that nothing can resist courage. You are an immense pride for the whole nation.” He also thanked the patrons who financed the reconstruction for their contribution. A total of 846 million euros were raised.

Record for two workers

Surrounded by workers and in a very emotional speech, Emmanuel Macron had a few words of remembrance for one of the workers, Azzedine Hedna, 64, who died at home at the beginning of November. He was to retire when the works on Notre-Dame were finished. Also for General Jean-Louis Georgelin, in charge of overseeing the reconstruction works, who died in the summer of 2023 in an accident on the mountain.

Notre-Dame will reopen its doors to the public on December 8. The day before, on the 7th, the official inauguration will take place with a speech by President Macron in front of the cathedral. The place where he will speak has not been chosen at random. Elisi’s first idea was to make the speech inside the temple, but this possibility generated a lot of controversy. In France, secularism is one of the pillars of the Republic, and for a president to make an official speech in a cathedral could be an attempt against the religious neutrality of the State. Finally, it has been chosen to make the speech outside.