The City of Paris, the Diocese of Paris and the Public Institution responsible for the conservation and restoration announced recently that the opening was made possible following deep-cleaning of the toxic dust that spread around the public plaza and Rue du Parvis during the fire which took place on 15 to 16 April 2019. Notre-Dame de Paris opened its forecourt, the square in front, to the public Sunday afternoon, a little over a year after the church was nearly engulfed in flames. This after an extensive lead pollution clean-up following the fire which ravaged parts of the church in April 2019. Priceless artifacts and the cathedral's interiors are in need of cleaning and repair, which has been calculated by historians at 10 years’ time. For three and a half hours, 400 firefighters battled a blaze that nearly took down the 11th-Century house of worship. However, because of the fire, the inside of the French Gothic building will be closed to visitors — likely for upwards of five years. I can unsubscribe any time using the unsubscribe link at the end of all emails. No masses were held in celebration. More than a year after a fire ravaged Notre-Dame de Paris, the cathedral square reopened Sunday afternoon after it was cleared of dangerous lead pollution. More than two months after the devastating fire that ravaged Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, reconstruction details remain unclear. Paris' mayor, Anne Hidalgo, joined media and senior clergy for a special visit to the area on Sunday afternoon, tweeting about her joy that “Parisians and visitors can once again enjoy this exceptional place.”. There is a debate over whether to rebuild the damaged parts in the original style, or turn to give it a modern makeover. According to the Wall Street Journal, he hopes the contest will help developers decide if they should rebuilt the spire at all, create an exact replica of the 19th-century, 750-ton spire that collapsed on Monday, or “if, as is often the case for the evolution of patrimony and cathedrals, Notre Dame should be given a new spire adapted to the techniques and goals of our era.”. Although the rest of the cathedral is still closed, renovations will continue, likely for several years. The cathedral is still closed as internal and external work is being carried out. Get inspired to travel everyday by signing up to our daily. Here several locals can be seen taking socially-distant strolls through the plaza. Coyote Ugly Turns 20: Where Is the Cast Now? C’est un immense plaisir de retrouver Mgr Chauvet et Mgr Aupetit pour la réouverture du parvis de #NotreDame, un an après l’incendie de la cathédrale : les Parisiennes, les Parisiens et les visiteurs peuvent à nouveau profiter de ce lieu exceptionnel. The City of Paris recently reopened the Parvis (the forecourt) and Rue du Parvis de Notre Dame de Paris for the first since a horrific fire swept through the beloved Notre Dame Cathedral in 2019. RELATED: Paris’s Notre Dame Cathedral ‘Saved and Preserved’ After Massive Fire, Says Official, French President Emmanuel Macron said he hopes the monument will be rebuilt within a five year period, though some experts suggest it will be much longer. French prosecutors treated it as an accident while historians expressed incredulity at the collapse of a building that has been a symbol of France for almost a millennium. Building works to secure Notre-Dame were suspended in mid-March due to coronavirus. 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The site will continue to be monitored and cleaned regularly in order to protect the health of the public, with samples being taken for analysis. Culture Future of Notre Dame Cathedral wide open. If you would like to opt out of browser push notifications, please refer to the following instructions specific to your device and browser: What Will Happen to Notre Dame? Barriers were erected around Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris to prevent access after the fire in April 2019. Text us for exclusive photos and videos, royal news, and way more. Clean-up was halted for some weeks last summer while air quality and toxic dust was dealt with. Issued on: 31/05/2020 - 14:13Modified: 31/05/2020 - 15:36. Workers at the site have had to undergo strict protection measures such as multiple showers and stripping down to paper underwear to ensure that they can continue the clean-up in a safe manner. April 16, 2019. She was addressing the National Assembly's commission on the restoration of the church alongside her colleague Emmanuel Grégoire, who went on to say that "if all is well, the reopening of the forecourt, or at least part of it, will happen in the first quarter of the year. The content you requested does not exist or is not available anymore. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has spread to many countries across the world, claiming over 375,000 lives and infecting nearly 6.3 million people. South Africa– Blue Sky Publications (Pty) Ltd T/A TheSouthAfrican Number: 2005/028472/07. The crypt beneath Paris’ Notre Dame reopened to the public last week over a year after the devastating fire lead to its closure in April of 2019. In two days, $1 billion has been raised for the rebuilding of the landmark, the Tribune reports. The cause of the blaze was not immediately clear, but the cathedral had been undergoing intense restoration work which the fire service said could be linked to the blaze. Following the devastating fire that tore through Notre Dame Cathedral on Monday, donations to rebuild the site poured in, raising questions about how long this enormous task will take and how it will impact tourists hoping to see the world-famous church and the city of Paris itself. Several procedures have been tested since August but none have been completely efficient thus far, as lead has a way of seeping in to porous surfaces and is difficult to remove. Alarm Sounded 23 Minutes Before Fire Was Found. Experts have cautioned though that his estimate is far too optimistic. Notre-Dame de Paris opened its forecourt, the square in front, to the public Sunday afternoon, a little over a year after the church was nearly engulfed in flames. People walk on the square of Notre Dame cathedral on June 2, 2020 in Paris, France. thesouthafrican.com is a division of Blue Sky Publications Ltd. Reproduction without permission prohibited. Christophe Ena/AP/REX/Shutterstock, Credit: Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, Cardinal Michel Aupetit and General Jean-Louis Georgelin, the latter in charge of renovation, welcomed devotees at 3 p.m. On April 15, 2019, a fire started in a corner of the cathedral's roof, allegedly from faulty equipment, as the structure had been undergoing restoration. French Culture Minister Franck Riester also proceeded to say that the reopening was “a very important moment”, adding that it was delayed “because of lead pollution and questions of confinement”. Paris is scheduled to host the 2024 Summer Olympic Games and Macron hopes to have it completed before then. Audience ratings certified by ACPM/OJD. cc @karen_taieb @ArielWeilT pic.twitter.com/sbR5BlTeT8. Copyright © Blue Sky Publications Ltd. All Rights Reserved. The Notre Dame Cathedral has never been closed to the public for an extended period of time in recent history, according to Claire Moreau of the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau. Chauvet also added that he is unsure about the future of the 67 employees of the church and what they will do in that time period. Complete the survey, devastating fire swept through the cathedral in April 2019, This SA courier company will soon be able to accurately track your location, Salah concerned over CAFCL Cairo Derby tension in Egypt camp, New ‘Observer: System Redux’ PS5 trailer readies player for next-gen release, Bloemfontein to host Springbok Tests in 2021 – report, These ten jobs will likely disappear in the near future. Notre-Dame de Paris opened its forecourt, the square in front, to the public Sunday afternoon, a little over a year after the church was nearly engulfed in flames. What to know about visiting Paris after the Notre Dame fire. It was reported that the fire destroyed the roof of the 850-year-old world heritage landmark, whose spectacular Gothic spire collapsed as orange flames and clouds of grey smoke billowed into the sky. Clean-up operations have been ongoing over the last year, and were carried out in different phases, but work was delayed as a direct result of lockdown measures put in place due to the spread of COVID-19. Right now, the Visitors Bureau is recommending other famous religious sites and tourist attractions to those who were considering visiting Notre Dame, including the Basilique Saint-Denis, the Sacré-Coeur, the Church of Saint-Eustache or the Sainte-Chapelle and Panthéon. Fears of contamination from the burning of lead in the steeple prompted authorities to undertake a decontamination process which has so far been difficult. There is no word yet on when the island will re-open. Despite many cleaning attempts, high lead concentrations had forced the forecourt to remain closed – but in a press release Sunday, city, church and building authorities announced those levels were now sufficiently low enough to allow Parisians and pilgrims to return. The lead pollution also fell on a vast amount of the surrounding area. Wealthy French citizens, including luxury brand group LVMH founder Bernard Arnault and Salma Hayek’s husband François-Henri Pinault both donated enormous sums immediately after the fire. A prominent conservation architect, Pierluigi Pericolo, suggested that just checking the stability of the remaining structure could take two to five years, and the actual restoration would be, “No less than 15 years,” the Chicago Tribune reports. Since then the cathedral and its surrounding area have been shut down for renovations and cleanups. The forecourt and crypt of the Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris are expected to re-open to the public in March. "We all wanted to be able to reopen for the Pentecost celebrations," the press release said – even though no religious gatherings will take place on the site. All rights reserved. Notre Dame’s forecourt opens to the public after horrific fire Almost one year after a fire ravaged the cathedral, the square of Notre Dame de Paris reopened to the public. The fire caused serious damage, but thanks to the 400 firefighters at the scene, the monument was able to be partly saved. Worshippers who were planning to celebrate Easter and the Holy Week with mass at Notre Dame have been told to attend nearby Saint-Eustache, USA Today reports. This comes after a devastating fire swept through the cathedral in April 2019. Notre Dame is often lauded as the most-visited landmark in Europe. "Obviously this depends on whether the site has been properly cleaned up, but we have been doing regular checks," said Karen Taïeb, deputy to the Mayor, in charge of historical monuments. Get push notifications with news, features and more. From May 31, the cathedral’s parvis is accessible to the public, a first step towards the full reopening of Notre-Dame. 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