The Notre Dame Cathedral, a staple in architectural history, had an unfortunate roof and structural fire five years ago. Now, after years and millions of dollars in renovation, it is ready to open back up to the public. There have been some key changes to both the inside and outside, and many people are excited to see the improvements made to this historic building.

Notre Dame is an ancient city, and the cathedral itself is currently 861 years old. For reference, that’s older than the Eiffel Tower and the Palace of Versailles, which are 528 combined! This church is renowned worldwide for its ancient grace, stunning architecture, and the haunting artifacts it houses. 

It is no surprise that the world was in shock and horror when one of the most well-known Gothic cathedrals caught on fire five years ago. It was decided that the structural fire was an accident, however the official cause of the blaze was never discovered. 

With an average of 12 million visitors yearly, people were upset that they could not go see this historic landmark. Many people donated to the cause of recovering Notre Dame, and donors gave a total of approximately $985 million dollars. A deadline was set, and the race was on. French President Emmanuel Macron announced that it would be rebuilt in five years.

Now, five years later, the cathedral has finally reopened. There has been much excitement from travelers, some planning trips around visiting Notre Dame. It is expected for the cathedral to have 40,000 visitors a day, and approximately 15 million visitors a year. This highly exceeds the number of visitors before the fire, showing just how eager people are to see the new changes.

The Notre Dame Cathedral is not only a building that holds great artifacts, but the building itself is considered a work of art. From the intricate architecture, the three dramatic rose windows, the famous altar, and the jaw-dropping pipe organs, this building itself is an artistic masterpiece. 

One notable change is the newest statue. Notre Dame normally has a copper rooster on top of the roof, which is a famous tradition. It represents the French people and has been with the cathedral since 1860. When the roof collapsed in the fire, people believed the rooster to be lost. However, after the fire, the rooster was found still intact. After being located, that statue was decided to be retired and replaced. In the old rooster’s place, a new version is going up. 

Poetically, this new statue is in the shape of a phoenix. However, it still keeps chicken-like qualities to continue the representation of the chicken on the roof. This was done intentionally to signify the ability to rise from the ashes, even when faced with a devastating fire.-

With the thousands of individuals going to see this renovated landmark, the reopening of the great cathedral has been readily awaited, and the public is delighted to visit. The Notre Dame Cathedral remains one of the greatest artistic pillars in the world and shows us that when faced with disaster, we can still rise above.