Visiting Notre-Dame-de-Paris, Emmanuel Macron welcomes “extraordinary progress”

Published on: 04/15/2022 – 20:13 The French head of state, Emmanuel Macron, visited on Friday the still ongoing construction site of the Notre-Dame-de-Paris cathedral, disfigured by the flames he three years ago to the day. The president welcomed during his visit, “an extraordinary step forward” in the work aimed at restoring the monument and reaffirmed that the reopening of the building to the public and to worship will take place in 2024. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, considered Friday April 15 during a visit to the construction site of Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral that it represented a “testimony of hope”, congratulating “those who spend their days and nights” renovating the building, three years after his fire.” In this period when we are coming out of Covid-19 and [en pleine] war in Europe, it is also a testimony of hope, it makes a lot of sense”, estimated the Head of State, while also welcoming a “parenthesis” in his electoral campaign. He was accompanied by his wife, Brigitte Macron.>> To (re) read also: “Three years of construction at Notre-Dame-de-Paris: from security to restoration” “It is Good Friday, it turns out that this religious holiday also corresponds – it is quite rare – to Passover for our compatriots of the Jewish faith and to Ramadan for our compatriots of the Muslim religion”, he continued, stressing that he was “president of a secular Republic”, but noting ” a kind of synchronism”. During this visit of almost two hours, the President of the Republic exchanged with companions from the companies which took part in the construction site, in particular stonemasons. “I find that there is progress extraordinary”, he greeted, congratulating those who “work day and night” and thanking “all mble of the teams, companies, craftsmen, trades that are associated as well as all the French producers, whether stone or wood, therefore trees, which are mobilized in intimacy with the diocese of Paris “Reopening scheduled for 2024 Emmanuel Macron also reaffirmed that the objective of returning the cathedral in five years will be met, i.e. in 2024, “which does not exclude that certain works may continue after the reopening”, specified his entourage. It will be reopened “for worship and visits, and pilgrims and visitors will find Notre-Dame more beautiful than ever since it will have regained its original colors and brilliance”, insisted the Head of State again. .>> To (re) see: “Concern over lead pollution after the Notre-Dame fire”Three years after the fire that devastated it, Notre-Dame de Paris has regained its original whiteness thanks to to the daily work of an army of craftsmen in the heart of a forest of scaffolding. On April 15, 2019, u n spectacular fire ravaged this masterpiece of Gothic art, causing the collapse of its framework, its spire, its clock and part of its vault, ravaged by the flames, under the incredulous gaze and devastated millions of people around the world. In the middle of Holy Week, the 850-year-old Notre-Dame-de-Paris cathedral is plunged into a deep sleep for a large-scale surgical operation on the banks of the Seine, where it welcomed 12 million visitors each year before the fire. {{ scope.counterText }} {{ scope.legend }} © {{ scope.credits }} {{ scope.counterText }} i {{ scope.legend }}© {{ scope.credits }} With AFP