PARIS (AP) — Five years after a catastrophic fire reduced Notre Dame Cathedral to a smoldering shell, The Associated Press entered the Gothic masterpiece for a first glimpse of its fully restored interiors during a visit with French President Emmanuel Macron that was broadcast to the public. The transformation is nothing short of breathtaking: light dances across brilliant stone, gilded accents gleam anew, and the Gothic icon’s majesty is reborn. From Dec. 8, visitors will once again marvel at the cathedral’s blend of history and craftsmanship.
Here’s a reporter’s-eye view:
The nave, once darkened by soot and rubble, now radiates a celestial brilliance. Visitors can see the true color of the cathedral’s walls: a pale Lutetian limestone — named after the Roman word for Paris, Lutecia — that glows under sunlight streaming through restored stained-glass windows. The newfound blond hues highlight the soaring Gothic columns and ribbed vaults, creating a bright and uplifting atmosphere. Restorers say it’s the first time in centuries the true stone has been exposed in this way.
The polished checkerboard marble floor, glistening underfoot, is so smooth it seems you could glide across it — communicating with the gilded, golden grille partition of the choir area.
Overhead, incandescent chandeliers hang majestically from each vaulted arch, stretching from west to east, casting a warm, golden light throughout the nave.
The meticulous restoration process involved cleaning over 42,000 square meters of stone using innovative latex peels to strip away centuries of grime without causing damage. Conservators uncovered mason marks etched by medieval builders — intimate traces of the artisans who shaped Notre Dame in the 12th and 13th centuries.
This gleaming transformation is a stark contrast to the wreckage of 2019, when the nave was strewn with charred debris.
The altar in the cathedral’s chancel carries a poignant symbol of the fire’s devastation. Nicolas Coustou’s Pietà, part of the Vœu de Louis XIII ensemble, survived largely unscathed, but molten lead from the blaze fused into the hand of Christ. Restorers chose to preserve this as a subtle, yet powerful, reminder of the tragedy.
Surrounding the altar, the intricate marquetry floor, long hidden under layers of dirt, has been pieced together from fragments recovered after the fire.
Nearby, the polished Cross of Glory, which famously —literally — glowed amid the flames, now stands restored to its full brilliance. Framed by the radiant blonde stonework of the nave, the cross serves as a centerpiece of the cathedral’s rebirth.
The grand organ, among the largest and most storied in France, has undergone an intricate revival. Spared from the flames but coated in lead dust, its 8,000 pipes, ranging in size from that of a pen to over 10 meters (33 feet) tall, were painstakingly disassembled, cleaned, and retuned. Over two years, this work was performed with precision in the cathedral’s silent, cavernous interior, where harmonization was achieved entirely by ear.
Now, the organ’s grandeur is unmistakable. Its towering wooden case, marked with carvings left by past craftsmen, gleams under sunlight streaming through restored clerestory windows. Even in silence, it commands awe.
The 29 chapels circling the nave and choir burst with color and detail previously dulled by dirt and neglect. Restorers revealed intricate murals, gilded stars on ceilings, and vibrant motifs originally created under Eugène Viollet-le-Duc’s direction. Each chapel tells a unique story through its designs and themes.
The Chapel of Saint Marcel stands out as a masterpiece, its mural of the saint’s relics vividly restored. Visitors are captivated by its radiant colors, producing an effect likened to the Sistine Chapel in Rome — a visual firework display. In other chapels, traces of 19th-century painters’ color tests, hidden in nooks, provide glimpses into their artistic process.
The transept crossing, where the original spire collapsed, presented one of the restoration’s most formidable challenges. Above, soaring new vaults of Lutetian limestone replicate the medieval originals with remarkable precision.
Beneath the crossing, archaeologists uncovered a trove of history: fragments of Notre Dame’s medieval jubé, or choir screen, buried in the rubble. These intricately carved stones, some still bearing faint traces of polychrome paint, provide a rare glimpse into the cathedral’s vibrant 13th-century decorative history.
The newly restored roof draw gazes skyward, where medieval timber techniques have been faithfully recreated. Known as “the forest,” the intricate wooden framework remains hidden beneath the roofline, but glimpses into the rafters reveal the precision of both ancient and modern craftsmanship.
Outside, the spire rises 96 meters, faithfully replicating Viollet-le-Duc’s 19th-century design. Clad in oak and lead, it stands crowned by a gilded rooster containing relics of St. Denis, St. Genevieve, and a fragment of the Crown of Thorns, alongside a scroll listing contributors to the restoration.
The spire also honors the late General Jean-Louis Georgelin, who oversaw the project until his death in 2023. His name is now etched at its base.
There’s more than meets the eye in this restoration. Notre Dame now features unseen state-of-the-art fire prevention systems to guard against future disasters. Thermal cameras monitor the roof, and a fine misting system, designed to extinguish flames at their source, is seamlessly integrated into the structure. Fireproof barriers divide the roof into compartments, preventing flames from spreading.
Reinforced water supply lines can deliver 600 cubic meters (21,188 cubic feet) of water per hour, ensuring the cathedral is better protected than ever before.
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For more of AP’s coverage on Notre Dame, visit https://apnews.com/hub/notre-dame-cathedral
