The incredible, historical and beautiful Notre Dame Cathedral in the heart of Paris is one of the city’s most famous monuments. Built in the 12th century, Notre Dame has seen centuries of tumultuous change in the capital. From the various French revolutions to the German occupation in WW2, the famous landmark has survived it all.
However on 15th April 2019, a fire broke out in the wooden roof of the Cathedral leading to the collapse of the wooden ceiling and the famous spire. Since then, the Cathedral has been completely closed to the public as craftsmen and women have worked around the clock to restore the Cathedral to its former glory.
When Will Notre Dame Cathedral Reopen to the Public?
For 5 years, practically 365 days per year, a huge team of works from across France and Europpe have been working to rebuild and restore the Cathedral to exactly how to it was pre-fire.
During these years, the Cathedral has been completely off limits to the general public. With work visibly progressing quickly, Notre Dame Cathedral is on schedule to reopen on 8th December 2024.
Originally the Cathedral was meant to reopen to the general public in time for the 2024 Olympic Games. However due to the complexity of the project, this deadline became unrealistic.
What Parts of the Cathedral Can You Visit?
You can’t currently visit the Cathedral but it is possible to walk around the site and see the exterior up close.
On the northern side, on Rue du Cloitre Notre Dame, there is a fantastic photo exhibition where you can learn more about the reconstruction and restoration of the Cathedral. It’s in English and French and I think it’s well worth a visit if you’re in the area.
What Happened to Notre Dame?
At around 6pm on 15th April 2019 a fire started in the roof and the flèche of the Cathedral. The lead roof was supported by a myriad of oak beams which helped to propagate the flames.
Due to an old and inadequate fire detection system, the fire was not detected properly by the security guards. This delay meant the fire had fully taken hold before the fire service were called.
Approximately 50 minutes after the fire service had arrived, the spire or flèche, collapsed. The huge lead roof came down along with the spire causing a vast amount of damage to the interior of the cathedral.
By 9:45pm the fire was brought under control and the main structure of the cathedral was saved. Around 500 firefighters attended the incident and despite one serious injury, no one was killed during the blaze.
Over the next few years, the area was closed off to tourists as it became a major restoration, construction and research site.
How did the Fire Start?
The exact cause of the fire is unknown although it’s believed to be connected with renovation works at the time. Theories range from workers’ cigarettes to electrical cables shorting in the roof area. It’s now very unlikely that an exact cause will ever be found.
What is known is that the fire started in the attic area under the lead roof at around 6pm on the 15th April 2019. A few minutes later, the Cathedral’s smoked detectors sounded an alert and the Cathedral was evacuated.
One of the security guards was initially sent to the wrong location and after 15 minutes, he was then sent to the correct area. By the time the guard had reached the site of the fire, it had completely taken hold of the roof section. At 6:50pm the fire service were called and they arrived 10 minutes later at 7pm.
In the area and want to know where to eat? Check out our guide to the best restaurants near Notre Dame.
