 "An artist paints a view of Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral, in front of the cathedral a few days before its reopening, in Paris. The Notre-Dame Cathedral is set to re-open with ceremonies on December 7 and 8, 2024, five years after the 2019 fire which ravaged the world heritage landmark and toppled its spire. AFP")
When one thinks of Paris in France, images of the Eiffel Tower, delicious croissants and the Notre Dame cathedral are often the most thought of visuals. And now after five years of reconstruction and restoration, after a deadly fire destroyed it, it will rise from the ashes like a phoenix today (December 7) and become the central character as it reopens to the public again.
Last Friday (November 29), the French President conducted an inspection of the restored cathedral , telling those involved in the repair works that they had done the “impossible” by healing a “national wound” after the fire on April 15, 2019.
“The blaze at Notre Dame was a national wound, and you have been its remedy through will, through work, through commitment,” he said, adding the cathedral’s re-opening on December 7-8 will be a “shock of hope”.
But what is the history of the cathedral? Why do the French consider it to be a cultural gem? We go back in time to trace the history of this grand architectural marvel and how it came to be integral to France’s history.
The building of the Notre Dame
The Notre Dame de Paris, which translates to Our Lady of Paris has a history that is closely linked to the history of France. Located on a small island called Ile de la Cite — Island of the City — in the centre of the Seine River.
Construction on this cathedral began in 1160 when Maurice de Sully, the bishop of Paris, had the idea of turning the site into a large cathedral. Owing to his friendship with King Louis VII, he convinced him of the plan and work on this structure began. In 1163, the first stone of the building was laid in the presence of Pope Alexander III.
However, it took another 200 years for the cathedral to be completed — in 1345 — through which it saw countless modifications.
Notre Dame: an architectural marvel
The Notre Dame is one of the most notable structures in France, a masterpiece of Gothic architecture. It is considered one of the first structures to feature flying buttresses. This design was meant to hold the thin Gothic-style walls up and prevent cracks from building in them. Moreover, the flying buttresses were supposed to provide structure support but also add to the cathedral’s Gothic style.
Besides the flying buttresses, the Notre Dame consists of a choir and apse, short transept, nave, double aisle and square chapels. The original central spire was removed in the 18th century as it was unstable and a new spire was added during a large-scale restoration in the 19th century, led by Eugene Viollet-le-Duc.
On the western side of the cathedral, stood two massively large Gothic-style towers, each measuring 68 metres tall. Additionally, gargoyles adorned the building’s sides.
Another notable feature of Notre Dame is the stunning rose windows. These large circular stained-glass windows are breathtakingly beautiful and serve a symbolic purpose, depicting biblical stories and saints. The windows are considered masterpieces of medieval craftsmanship.
Notre Dame’s historical highlights
Since its construction, the Notre Dame Cathedral has been central to some of the world’s most historical events.
For instance, in 1431, Notre Dame served as the location where Henry VI, the king of England, was crowned king of France. In 1537, James V, king of Scotland, married Madeleine of France in 1537 at the cathedral.
During the French Revolution, angry mobs and revolutionaries looted the medieval Gothic church—and even declared that it wasn’t a church at all. They destroyed more than two dozen statues affixed to the church façade.
And in 1793, Notre Dame became the site of the Festival of Reason, a revolutionary and anti-religious festival that mocked Catholicism. After these years of turmoil, the cathedral was restored to its former glory and Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself the emperor of France in 1804 at the Notre Dame.
In the 20th century, Notre Dame was where Joan of Arc was beatified by Pope Pius X. In 1920, she was canonised by Pope Benedict XV.
The cathedral also withstood two World Wars and its bells tolled in 1944 to mark the end of Nazi occupation. In 2001, the bells also tolled to mark the destruction of New York’s Twin Towers which were attacked in the 9/11 attacks.
The cathedral has hosted the funeral of the French presidents Charles de Gaulle and François Mitterrand.
Notably, the cathedral doesn’t just serve as a historical marvel but also holds religious significance. That’s because it is home to some of the most valuable artefacts in Catholicism, such as the crown of thorns believed to have been worn by Jesus before his crucifixion as well as the tunic worn by Saint Louis, a 13th-century king of France (Louis IX).
A fire and a rebirth
It was on April 15, 2019, around 6.30 pm local time that the world looked on in horror when a fire broke out under the eaves of Notre-Dame Cathedral’s roof and engulfed the spire and most of the roof. So deadly was it that officials took 24 hours to bring it under control before it ravaged the entire structure.
It was a miracle itself that the blaze didn’t ruin the many works of art and religious relics that were inside the structure. Moreover, the cathedral’s altar, two pipe organs, and three 13th-century rose windows suffered little or no damage.
While the embers of the fire were yet to be put out, French President Emmanuel Macron vowed to renovate and reconstruct the medieval monument within five years. Since then, some 250 companies and hundreds of experts have been brought in for the restoration work, which cost a total of nearly €700 million.
Today, the renovated cathedral has an exact copy of the 19th century Gothic spire. Also, the stained windows have been cleaned of stains and a restored organ is ready to play out beautiful tunes again.
It will be wonderful to see the renovated Notre Dame cathedral once it opens its doors to devotees on December 8 when the first mass will be held.
With inputs from agencies