After the devastating fire of April 2019, it is amazing to be able to visit the restored Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris just six years later and witness the results of the incredible work that has been done to bring this gothic marvel back to life.

Notre Dame de Paris, April 2019

Notre Dame de Paris, before the fire

Construction of Notre Dame began in 1163 under the reign of King Louis VII and the cathedral was largely completed by 1345. The architecture of the new cathedral was in line with a new style known as ‘francigenum opus’, now known as gothic. The cathedral is said to hold some of the most important relics of the Christian church, the treasury housing reliquaries containing the Crown of Thorns, a fragment of the True Cross, one of Christ’s nails, and the linen shirt of Saint Louis. Before the 2019 fire, more than twelve million people a year visited the cathedral to marvel at the building and to see its treasures.

The fire destroyed the spire, much of the roof and caused extensive damage to the interior of the cathedral. The roof frame needed to be rebuilt by hand by carpenters who used one thousand oak trees to complete the task. To replicate the original frame as closely as possible, the tools used were based on those from the middle ages.

The restored roof structure above the nave

The cathedral encased in scaffolding during the restoration

The restoration of the vaults

The restored nave, Notre Dame de Paris

Altar, Notre Dame de Paris