PARIS (AP) — France’s iconic Notre Dame Cathedral is formally reopening its doors on Saturday for the first time since a devastating fire nearly destroyed the 861-year-old landmark in 2019.
The restoration, a spectacular achievement in just five years for a structure that took nearly two centuries to build, is seen as a moment of triumph for French President Emmanuel Macron, who championed the ambitious timeline — and a welcome respite from his domestic political woes.
Under the luminous stained glass, many world leaders, dignitaries, and worshippers will gather in the evening to mark the occasion — a rare moment of unity against the backdrop of global divisions and conflicts.
President-elect Donald Trump, America’s first lady Jill Biden, Britain’s Prince William and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are among 1,500 guests attending the reopening celebration under Notre Dame’s soaring Gothic arches, led by Archbishop Laurent Ulrich.
Monumental feats of restoration mark the reopening. Inside, 42,000 square meters of stonework, equal to six soccer pitches, have been meticulously cleaned. The thunderous great organ, with 7,952 pipes ranging from pen-sized to torso-wide, will play for the first time since 2019, controlled by a newly renovated console boasting five keyboards, 115 stops, and 30 foot pedals. Overhead, a dense lattice of 2,000 oak beams, nicknamed “the forest,” anchors the spire and roof.