The evening of April 15, 2019, suddenly saw smoke rising from the Notre Dame Cathedral in central Paris. From the rooftops, shocked Parisians watched as flames burst out from the 850-year-old landmark. When the cathedral's characteristic spire collapsed, people around the world held their breath.
Even before the fire was fully extinguished, President Emmanuel Macron promised to restore Notre Dame to its former glory – even "greater and more beautiful" than before.
Now, over five years later, the renovation is complete. Today, a ceremony with celebrity guests is being held, and tomorrow, the first Sunday mass will be open to the public. All tickets to the mass were sold out on Tuesday in just a few hours, according to AFP.
Many leaders in attendance
In preparation for Saturday's events, a large area around the cathedral has been cordoned off for security reasons, writes Le Monde. The ceremony is expected to be attended by numerous heads of state and government, diplomats, and religious leaders.
USA's incoming President Donald Trump landed at Orly Airport on Saturday morning.
"It will be a very special day for everyone," Trump wrote on Truth Social earlier in the week.
The Paris visit is his first foreign trip since being elected president. Trump is scheduled to meet with Macron before the opening ceremony. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky will also be in Paris and is set to meet with his French counterpart.
Poor weather
Among the invited guests are Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Britain's Prince William, Germany's President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Pope Francis was invited but will not attend, to many people's surprise.
During the ceremony, rain and strong winds are expected, and the program was changed on Friday. The entire ceremony will now be held indoors, including the speech Macron had planned to give in front of the cathedral.
Around 250 companies and hundreds of experts have worked to restore Notre Dame. The restoration has cost a total of nearly 700 million euros, equivalent to over eight billion Swedish kronor.
The construction of the Paris cathedral began in 1163 during the reign of King Louis VII and took around 200 years to complete. It was designed by Paris Bishop Maurice de Sully.
Notre Dame was a key part of the French Gothic style that emerged in the second half of the 12th century. The ribbed vaults and transept façades from the 1250s were particularly significant. The interior was altered under the influence of 17th-century classicism.
During the French Revolution, the western façade's royal sculptures were smashed. A reconstruction was carried out between 1845 and 1864.
Notre Dame has been classified as a world historical monument by the UN.
The building is adorned with sculptures of mythological creatures, known as gargoyles, which are often composed of several animal bodies. The most famous of them is "Stryge", a demon-like creature that looks out over Paris and rests its face in its hands.
The cathedral was the setting for Victor Hugo's famous novel "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" from 1831, where the "hunchbacked" main character Quasimodo finds a refuge in the cathedral where he is employed as a bell-ringer.
After the devastating fire in April 2019, a comprehensive restoration of the cathedral has been carried out.
Sources: NE and Reuters
The reopening of Notre Dame begins at 19:00 on Saturday
The doors will open after the archbishop knocks three times with his staff
A film honoring the firefighters who put out the fire and those who rebuilt the cathedral will be shown at 19:15
President Macron will give a speech at 19:30
The ceremony will then continue, including the "revival" of the large organ
The concert that was supposed to take place outside the cathedral has been pre-recorded due to bad weather and will be broadcast around 21:30.
The day after, the first Sunday mass will be held at 10:30 with invited guests
Among them are 170 bishops from France and over 100 priests from Paris
A second Sunday mass, open to the public, will be held at 18:30, but all places have already been reserved
The cathedral will open to visitors on Monday
The reopening will continue to be celebrated in various ways until December 15
All masses held during the first week are already fully booked
Source: Franceinfo, AP, AFP, Notre Dame's website
