Five and a half years have passed since the devastating fire at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on April 5, 2016. Restoring the 850-year-old landmark to its former glory will take plenty of work, but it has recently been announced that Notre Dame is on track to reopen to the public in 2024, in time for the Olympic Games in Paris.
The securing of the cathedral from further damage has been completed on schedule, according to a statement released by the organization responsible for its conservation and restoration. “We’re officially saying that the cathedral is now saved, that it’s solid on its pillars, that its walls are solid,” said General Jean-Louis Georgelin, who was appointed to the restoration project by French president Emmanuel Macron. According to Geiogelin, this was a critical step in order to start the phase of restoring and rebuilding the parts destroyed by the fire.
“We are determined to win this battle of 2024, to reopen our cathedral in 2024,” Georgelin said. “It will be France’s honor to do so, and we will do so because we are all united on this goal.”
