The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris was devastated by a fire on April 15, 2019. However, the French government set a five-year deadline to rebuild it.
Recently, French Army General Jean-Louis Georgelin confirmed in an interview with the Associated Press that the site would be reopen by the end of 2024.
The iconic cathedral may not be ready for the 2024 Olympic Games to be held in Paris though. In April, the reconstruction of its emblematic spire will begin, restored to the original design created in the 19th century.
In December, Gen. Georgelin said that the complete reconstruction of the first collapsed vault was a significant step forward, and the interiors are were already being restored.
The cost of restoring the exterior of the Notre Dame Cathedral following the blaze damage is estimated to be around $580 million, with over $158 million already spent.
The Cathedral Fund’s director, Christophe-Charles Rousselot, confirmed in a March 2022 interview with Le Parisien that the $844 million raised from over 300,000 donors worldwide is enough to entirely restore the framework, roof and spire.
However, the donations do not include the cost for the interior rebuild, which is the responsibility of the Diocese of Paris, which have yet to be disclosed.
The Diocese of Paris proposed the installation of contemporary art in the side chapels, the projection of biblical messages on the walls and a new “catechetical path” for visitors throughout the chapels.
If all goes according to plan, the cathedral will reopen for worship on December 8th in 2024, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.
Until then, visitors can attend the exhibition “Notre-Dame de Paris: At the Heart of the Construction Site,” which pays tribute to the artisans working on the reconstruction.
