Notre Dame Cathedral

How Long will it take to restore the Notre Dame Cathedral

No one knows for certain how long it might take to restore the Notre Dame after fire. While the President of France would like to see it done in 5 years, this is likely an overly optimistic goal. While the restoration is expected to cost upward of 1 billion dollars, money is not the issue. There are plenty of donations and funding to cover the cost. There are also skilled trades and craftsman who have the experience needed to do this type of work. The issue is simply that this type of work is painstaking and cannot be rushed. Most experts estimate the restoration will take 10 to 20 years and possibly much longer.

This is not the first time the Notre Dame has been damaged. It was also ravaged during the French Revolution, and was beautifully restored after that as well. It is a shame that the statues and stained glass windows destroyed during that time are lost forever.

Visiting the Notre Dame

Visitors to Paris can still enjoy seeing the outside of this magnificent structure. The renowned rose colour stained-glass windows and iconic twin square towers survived the fire. There is still plenty of architectural detail to discern and looking beyond the scafolding and reflecting, one can still envision the overall lines and beauty of this historic Cathedral. Many visitors still come by daily to do just that. There are plenty of vantage points on the surrounding streets and bridges and from the left bank of the Seine.

Interesting Facts and History

The Notre Dame Cathedral is a name that most people will immediately recognize. Notre Dame de Paris, meaning Our Lady of Paris, is its full name. The cathedral was built in the Gothic style and, up until the fire in April of 2019, it was actively used as a Roman Catholic church. It is considered by many to be one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in the world.

The Notre Dame received much notoriety from the famous novel 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' by renowned author Victor Hugo which was published in 1831. Today it attracts over 13 million visitors and pilgrims each year. In holding with the view that worshiping the Lord should be open to all, there is no entrance fee to the cathedral. Visitors are asked to dress appropriately and to be as quiet as possible so as not to disturb those who come to worship in its hallowed halls.

A number of significant events have taken place in the Notre Dame Cathedral. Some of those events include the coronation of Henry VI as king of France, the marriage of James V of Scotland to Madeleine of France, the coronation of Napoleon I, as well as the beautification and canonization of Joan of Arc.

The Notre Dame Cathedral was built on the exact site of the first Parisian Christian church, Saint Etienne basilica. The basilica was built on the site of a Roman temple to Jupiter. Thus the Notre Dame Cathedral symbolizes the victory of Christianity over the pagan Roman gods to some pilgrims.

Nearby attractions: Sainte Chapelle and The Latin Quarter