See 1st photos of Notre Dame Cathedral’s restoration, 5 years after blaze

globalnews.ca:

Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, damaging large portions of the 860-year-old Gothic-style building, the world is getting a look at the painstaking restoration efforts to bring the church back to life.French President Emmanuel Macron toured the UNESCO World Heritage Site Friday, trailed by a pool of photographers and journalists, taking in the meticulous, €700 million (more than C$1 billion) restoration.And what a difference – “This is overwhelming,” he said as he viewed the glistening, cleaned white stones, Reuters reported.Macron thanked the nearly 400 firefighters who “saved this cathedral” on April 15, 2019 – the day the world watched in horror as a fire that started in the roof spread rapidly, sending flames and smoke high into the sky.“The blaze at Notre Dame was a national wound and you were the remedy, through your determination, hard work and commitment,” he said, speaking to the approximately 1,300 workers who gathered to welcome Macron and celebrate their achievements.The fire destroyed the church’s spire and roof and left heavy smoke and water damage to the main cathedral area of the building.After the fire was extinguished that day, Macron pledged to the public that “we will rebuild the cathedral to be even more beautiful, and I want it to be completed within five years.”On Friday, Marcon gazed up at rebuilt soaring ceilings and creamy good-as-new stonework.Gone are the gaping holes that the blaze scorched into the vaulted ceilings, leaving charred piles of debris. New stonework has been carefully pieced together to repair and fill the wounds that had left the cathedral’s insides exposed to the elements.