"The cathedral has been saved", two and a half years after the fire, France will begin to repair Notre Dame Cathedral

According to the New York Times, two and a half years after the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral, the French government will begin reconstruction work on it, which is expected to be completed in 2024.

Screenshot of the New York Times report

General George Lynn, a former army chief of staff appointed by French President Emmanuel Macron to take care of the restoration, said on Saturday (September 18) that "restoring this 850-year-old cathedral is a difficult task because scaffolding must be removed, debris piled up on the floor, and some other difficult work." We officially declare that the cathedral is now saved, that its pillars are strong, and that its walls are strong. ”

The cathedral is expected to reopen in 2024, completing macron's five-year deadline to complete the restoration, the same year that paris hosts the 2024 Summer Olympics. Reconstruction work is expected to begin in the coming months.

The Friends of Notre Dame, an organization that helped restore the cathedral, is currently seeking donations to restore the cathedral's dozens of stone statues, statues and paintings.

The world witnessed the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral on April 15, 2019, as if watching a "slow-motion horror movie," which engulfed the cathedral's attic and then tore through the roof and swooped onto the iconic spire, causing the spire to tip over the vault below. The New York Times investigation found that notre-dame cathedral nearly collapsed as an irreplaceable symbol of France's cultural heritage.

Donations for the restoration of the cathedral came from all over the world, including from some of France's richest people. In the days after the fire, individuals, companies and institutions donated or pledged about $950 million to rebuild the cathedral.

The restoration work sparked a series of debates over the cathedral's new design. Last year, Macron abandoned the idea of building a modern spire on top of the cathedral.

Investigators have not yet revealed the cause of the fire, but they focused on two theories: a short circuit near the spire and a smoking on scaffolding by renovation workers.

Security planners at Notre Dame have been criticized for miscalculating how quickly the fires spread. Before the fire, the cathedral attracted 13 million visitors a year. (Editor: SDY)