The Rebirth of Nôtre Dame

We watched in horror on television as Nôtre Dame burned in April 2019. The brave firefighters volunteered to climb up the belfry towers to put out the flames. It was too dangerous to compel them to go in the towers, but the volunteers knew it was the only way to save the beloved cathedral. As the mother of a firefighter, I understood how brave those firefighters were. Nobody gave them explicit permission to go in the belfries but they went anyway. 

President Macron announced that Nôtre Dame would reopen in five years-a very aggressive timetable. We were so happy when it reopened in December 2024, just before we came to Paris.

Kate at Nôtre Dame

View of Nôtre Dame 
from the side

Kelly at Nôtre Dame

There are free tours of the outside of Nôtre Dame every day at 2:30. Some days they also give the tours in English. Kelly and I took advantage of one of these tours soon after we arrived in Paris. We learned some new things from our excellent French guide, Nicolas, who lived for a few years in Houston. He told us that the relics from Sainte Chapelle, including the Crown of Thorns, are kept in the Treasury at Nôtre Dame. When the fire erupted, the man with the key to the safe containing the relics was at a soirée out at Versailles. He had to hurry back to the cathedral and get through police lines where he was initially turned back. He had to break through the police lines and run. But then he was so nervous he couldn't remember the code to turn the key in the safe. He had to call another code holder as pieces of wood rained down in the burning cathedral.

Nave of Nôtre Dame

The entrance to the cathedral is now through the center doors, which were rarely opened in the past. We couldn't get over how light and bright it was. And warm! Kelly noticed that immediately.

Kelly contemplating the
enormity of Nôtre Dame

The rose windows are so vivid and bright. Just stunning.

North Rose Window

South Rose Window

We were so worried that the carvings and statues inside Nôtre Dame would be destroyed but everything seemed to survive. The wooden carvings telling the story of the life of Jesus were beautifully restored.

Carving of the Nativity

Adoration of the Magi

Baptism of Christ

Christ's Triumphal Entry
into Jerusalem

The Last Supper

Resurrected Christ in the Garden

"Doubting" Thomas and Disciples
at the Sea of Gallilee

Joan of Arc is one of the patron saints of France. She was canonized in 1920 and many churches in France have a statue of Saint Joan of Arc. I also found one of my favorite statues in the cathedral of Joseph, the carpenter, with Jesus in a new spot. It is inside a confessional room instead of one of the small side chapels.

Jeanne d'Arc

Joseph with Jesus

With Kate
North Rose Window

Gothic cathedrals were originally painted and very colorful inside. During the Renaissance and the reign of Louis XIV, Gothic architecture became very out of fashion. Louis XIV ordered the interior of Nôtre Dame to be scrubbed clean of all that paint. Some of the side chapels near the back of the cathedral have been repainted similar to how they would have originally looked.

Painted Chapel

Painted Chapel

 

There was a memorial to the firefighters who saved Nôtre Dame that included a firefighter helmet. The original, somewhat melted, rooster from the spire is also on display. The rooster is a symbol of France.

Tribute to Firefighters

Rooster

Organ Loft

Nôtre Dame has been very busy and full of people every time we have visited. The first time we went, we were able to get a free timed ticket for entry two days ahead. Only three days are available at a time. But lately, the tickets are always gone when we check. There is a line for those without tickets which is long but moves quickly. James Mayo was visiting from Provo this week and we went in the morning at 9 am and we got right in. When we came out, the line was very long. The cathedral opens around 8 am so coming first thing in the morning and on a weekday seems to be the best way to avoid the lines. With spring coming and more tourists, I imagine it will just become more crowded.

James at Nôtre Dame

There is still construction on the exterior of the cathedral. The workers have been returning the statues that go up the sides of the spire on the roof. Although the spire burned and fell in the fire, the statues were saved because they had been taken down four days earlier to be restored. You can see the crane on the side of Nôtre Dame where they are still working on the exterior.

It is amazing what they were able to accomplish in less than five years to restore the cathedral. It is so wonderful to have Nôtre Dame back. We missed this magnificent cathedral.