First look at Notre Dame Cathedral’s restored interior five years after devastating fire

After five years of restoration work following a devastating fire, the first glimpse inside the restored Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris has been revealed through images and videos that emerged on Friday. French President Emmanuel Macron toured the iconic structure ahead of its reopening to the public on Dec. 8, describing the experience as “overwhelming.”

The exterior of the 12th-century monument still shows signs of a construction site, with scaffolding and cranes, but inside, the restoration has unveiled the cathedral’s bright colors once again after years of accumulated dirt were removed. Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich expressed eagerness to welcome the world under the roof of the cathedral, stating, “On the night of April 15, [2019], hundreds of thousands of people committed themselves to what then seemed an impossible bet: to restore the cathedral and give it back its splendor within the unprecedented deadline of five years.”

Carpenters have been working diligently by hand, much like their medieval counterparts, as they hewed giant oak beams to rebuild the roof and spire that collapsed during the inferno. Nearly $1 billion in donations were raised in the days following the fire to rebuild Notre Dame, with around $148 million still remaining, according to restoration chief Philippe Jost.

Jost mentioned that the remaining funds will be used in agreement with patrons and donors to carry out necessary work campaigns to ensure the preservation and structural integrity of the cathedral. The Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris, a nonprofit founded in 2017, has been instrumental in leading international fundraising efforts for the restoration.

Michel Picaud, president of Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris, highlighted the dire state of the cathedral even prior to the fire, stating, “The fire was a terrible event for us because suddenly we had not only to restore part of the cathedral but to rebuild it, which means the extent of what we had to do was much bigger.”

French President Macron is set to return on Dec. 7 to deliver an address and attend the consecration of the new altar during a solemn Mass the following day. The reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral marks a significant milestone in the restoration efforts that have brought the iconic structure back to its former glory.