Additional Coverage:
- France officially reopens Notre Dame’s cathedral towers 6 years after disastrous fire (abcnews.go.com)
PARIS — Nearly six and a half years after a devastating fire, the north and south towers of Notre Dame Cathedral are once again open, marked by a visit from French President Emmanuel Macron. The towers officially reopen to the public this Saturday.
The cathedral itself was formally reopened late last year in a December 7, 2024 ceremony attended by 1,500 dignitaries, including US First Lady Jill Biden, then President-elect Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Prince William, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
This iconic landmark of Gothic architecture, completed around 1260 AD, had welcomed more than 13 million visitors annually prior to the 2019 fire, surpassing even the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre in popularity.
The massive reconstruction effort required 1,200 oak trees from French forests to rebuild the roof framework and employed 1,000 construction workers. The reopening of the towers marks a significant milestone in the cathedral’s restoration.