The world gets its first glimpse inside Notre Dame Cathedral after 5 years under wraps
Source: Associated Press
By THOMAS ADAMSON Updated 7:12 AM PST, November 29, 2024
PARIS (AP) Five years after a catastrophic fire reduced Notre Dame Cathedral to a smoldering shell, The Associated Press entered the Gothic masterpiece for a first glimpse of its fully restored interiors during a visit with French President Emmanuel Macron that was broadcast to the public. The transformation is nothing short of breathtaking: light dances across brilliant stone, gilded accents gleam anew, and the Gothic icons majesty is reborn. From Dec. 8, visitors will once again marvel at the cathedrals blend of history and craftsmanship.
Overhead, incandescent chandeliers hang majestically from each vaulted arch, stretching from west to east, casting a warm, golden light throughout the nave.
The meticulous restoration process involved cleaning over 42,000 square meters of stone using innovative latex peels to strip away centuries of grime without causing damage. Conservators uncovered mason marks etched by medieval builders intimate traces of the artisans who shaped Notre Dame in the 12th and 13th centuries.
This gleaming transformation is a stark contrast to the wreckage of 2019, when the nave was strewn with charred debris.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/notre-dame-macron-visit-fire-restoration-paris-9760183f4a4827919a933fee9b64a8c2
FakeNoose
(35,817 posts)ucrdem
(15,720 posts)for a few hundred years at least !
Joinfortmill
(16,525 posts)sinkingfeeling
(53,071 posts)From inside Notre Dame, CNNs Senior International Correspondent Melissa Bell saw the finished labors of the cathedral for the first time.
As you walk in, what hits you is just how light and bright it is, Bell said.
You realize that before the fire, many centuries of worship and passage and life had meant that it was very dark. There was something really somber when you came inside. That has been completely transformed, she said.
It isnt so much theyve restored it to its glory of five years ago, but that theyve restored it to its glory of many centuries ago.
Its incredibly beautiful but it almost feels like a different cathedral, Bell added. You can see it for the first time.
littlemissmartypants
(25,642 posts)sinkingfeeling
(53,071 posts)republianmushroom
(17,822 posts)Wild blueberry
(7,213 posts)Thank you to everyone who worked on this. Beautiful!
mountain grammy
(27,318 posts)Is anything? Would Jesus preach here?
Sky Jewels
(8,823 posts)"God" is a psychopathic monstrous, murderous asshole. I'm glad "He" doesn't actually exist.
Marthe48
(19,118 posts)I wept, so did my daughters. It wasn't because we felt we were in the presence of God. It was because we imagined the effort individuals made to create this building. I think of the planning and compromise, the cooperation that was needed to do the work. Yes, it was built for worship, but it is a constant reminder of what humans can do if they will work together, what greatness we are capable of creating with our own hands, our own vision.
FakeNoose
(35,817 posts)To think that the Cologne cathedral could have easily been destroyed during the bombings in World War II. It would have been lost for all time, if it hadn't been for the heroic efforts of private citizens.
The Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris survived the war, and so many centuries of various threats, only to succumb to that terrible fire 5 years ago.
Marthe48
(19,118 posts)because he admired the city. So the city was not as ruined as London was. hitler wanted to destroy Paris when his army was in retreat, but his general ignored him.
We were inLondon on the same trip, and visited St. Paul's Cathedral. Our guide in London said that London citizens valiantly worked to save the cathedral from german firebombs.
I hope that the spirit that moves us to work together to make these wonders, preserve them and defend them from destruction, will move us to defend ideas that are in danger right now.
FirstLight
(14,225 posts)I've been in love with the idea of going since I was a teen. It's been on my bucket list for years...
Since going back to college to finish my degree in Anthropology, now the caves @ lascaux are the biggies, but a little swing through paris would be lovely....sigh....
littlemissmartypants
(25,642 posts)Hungry children and mothers that cash could have helped?
Elessar Zappa
(15,999 posts)Beautifying our surroundings is a worthy endeavor.
ucrdem
(15,720 posts)And how many would have been killed if the money had gone to build bombs?
ucrdem
(15,720 posts)All 2,000 people who contributed to the work have been invited to Fridays event, of whom at least 1,300 are expected to attend. This final site visit is an opportunity to thank them in particular from wood craftsmen to those of metal and stone, from scaffolders to roofers, from bell makers to art restorers, from gilders to masons and sculptors, from carpenters to organ builders, from architects, archaeologists, engineers and planners to logistical or administrative functions, Macron said ahead of the visit.
That's a lot of working-class families and their children. And think how many more will be helped by the workers who maintain the building and the shopkeepers, hoteliers, travel guides and assorted pickpockets sustained by future travelers including me?
https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20241129-live-macron-takes-world-on-first-tour-inside-paris-s-restored-notre-dame-cathedral
EX500rider
(11,493 posts)littlemissmartypants
(25,642 posts)electric_blue68
(18,283 posts)for several days! I had mentioned wanting to take a train to Paris.
Anyway, our hotel was near the Seine, and not far from from Notre Dame. We passed it a few times by bus. Pre-fire 2016.
Since she'd been there before she took us to near by St Chappelle. A smaller church but filled with many tall, skinny stained glass windows. Very beautiful with their colors cast upon the floor, and walls.
Very Happy to see Notre Dame restored to It's original brilliance!
LudwigPastorius
(10,909 posts)Now, I'm going to have to take my hunch back.
ucrdem
(15,720 posts)for most misérable pun
yorkster
(2,448 posts)ucrdem
(15,720 posts)applegrove
(123,324 posts)I love how clean the cathedral ended up.
Emile
(30,131 posts)Takes longer than that to patch a pothole here.
Think. Again.
(18,358 posts)And to think that beautiful structure was once used as a warehouse.