A video shows what the inside of Notre Dame looks like after its reconstruction following a major fire five years ago.
The catastrophic blaze destroyed the roof and spire of the historic medieval cathedral in Paris caught fire in April2019, after which French President Emmanuel Macron set a five year deadline for its restoration, which cost around $737 million, according to the BBC.
The new footage from inside the iconic monument was posted to X, formerly Twitter, by @Rainmaker1973, and shows the high arched ceilings, stain-glass windows and intricate architecture all restored after the fire ahead of a visit by President-elect Donald Trump.
Trump announced on Monday in a Truth Social post that he would be going to visit Notre Dame for its reopening on December 7.
He wrote, “It is an honor to announce that I will be traveling to Paris, France, on Saturday to attend the re-opening of the Magnificent and Historic Notre Dame Cathedral, which has been fully restored after a devastating fire five years ago. President Emmanuel Macron has done a wonderful job ensuring that Notre Dame has been restored to its full level of glory, and even more so. It will be a very special day for all!”
This will be the former and future president’s first trip abroad since his election victory in November, according to the Associated Press.
Macron beat other global leaders to be the first to congratulate Trump on his win, according to Politico.
On November 6, Macron said in a post on X that he was “ready to work together” with Trump, “as [they] did during four years,” referring to the Republican‘s first term in office.
Per Politico, the two had a “love-hate relationship” during that time, but despite their differences in politics and age, they shared a bit of a “bromance” together.
Newsweek has contacted the Trump transition team outside normal working hours via email for comment.
Stephane de Sakutin/Pool via AP
It has been reported that around 50 heads of state and government are expected to attend the opening this weekend, meaning major security operations will be in place and tourists will be shut off from the cathedral’s island location during the event.
The opening will include a series of rituals that the Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich will kick-off, after striking the closed door of Notre Dame with his staff.
The great organ’s 8,000 pipes, which were covered in toxic dust after the fire and have been disassembled, cleaned and retuned, will also play a psalm as the doors re-open.
According to the BBC, in a speech to those who worked on the refurbishment, Macron said, “The blaze at Notre Dame was a national wound, and you have been its remedy through will, through work, through commitment.”
He added, “I am so deeply grateful, France is so deeply grateful. You have brought Notre Dame back.”
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