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Notre Dame cathedral holds first mass since April fire
French President Macron hopes the cathedral will by fully restored within five years.
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Marking a milestone in the Notre Dame Cathedral’s renaissance, the scaffolding surrounding the Paris attraction was removed on Tuesday.
The medieval Catholic cathedral’s scaffolding has been taken down in recent days, revealing the cathedral’s new spire for the first time, which is adorned with a golden rooster and a cross.
A resident near the cathedral, Frederico Benani, told the Associated Press that he felt emotional at the sight of the new spire.
“I can open the window in the morning. I see Notre Dame. I see the spire — it’s for me, beautiful, and it’s much better (than) before,” Benani said. “It gives us hope.”
NOTRE DAME’S DESTRUCTION WAS ‘BOUND TO HAPPEN’ AFTER YEARS OF NEGLECT AND LACK OF UPKEEP, EXPERT CLAIMS
The new golden rooster is seen atop of Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral on February 13, 2024 in Paris, France. (Chesnot/Getty Images)
The famous Viollet-le-Duc structure of the spire, which collapsed in the fire of April 2019, was rebuilt identically. (Chesnot/Getty Images)
The iconic structure was ravaged by fire in April 2019, leaving it in severe disrepair. The new spire is the latest milestone in the restoration of the cathedral’s former glory.
In a symbol of resilience and renewal, a new golden rooster, reimagined as a phoenix with flaming feathers, was installed atop the spire in December, marking the cathedral’s rise from the ashes.
Other restoration efforts include the implementation of an anti-fire misting system beneath the cathedral’s roof and the recreation of the original cross.
Scaffolding is being removed around the spire of Notre Dame de Paris cathedral, showing the rooster and the cross, Monday, Feb. 12, 2024 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)
Notre Dame is expected to reopen in Dec. 2024 following the devastating fire in April 2019. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)
Notre Dame is on track in its renovation process and is expected to reopen in Dec. 2024.
The cathedral will not be open to the public during the Paris Olympics in July and August, when the city will host millions for the Summer Games.
Notre Dame cathedral’s new spire has been revealed as a golden rooster and cross after – like a phoenix rising from the flames of the devastating fire in 2019. (Li Yang/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images))
Much of the cathedral remains surrounded by scaffolding, which could take weeks if not months to remove.
NOTRE-DAME’S GOLDEN ALTAR CROSS SEEN GLOWING AS IMAGES EMERGE FROM INSIDE FIRE-RAVAGED CATHEDRAL
The spire alone, cathedral officials said, was protected by some 70,000 pieces of scaffolding, totaling a dizzying 600 tons.
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The restoration of the crippled monument, once a major tourist attraction, came after a devastating fire caused the collapse of the structure’s main spire.
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French President Emmanuel Macron set a target of five years – which will be when France is set to host the 2024 Summer Olympics – for the completion of Notre Dame restoration efforts.
Cost estimates of the repairs came to around $1.13 billion to $2.3 billion.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business.
She is a native of Massachusetts and is based in Orlando, Florida.
Story tips and ideas can be sent to [email protected] and on X: @s_rumpfwhitten.