Five years after the devastating fire, the restored Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris will reopen with a festive ceremony on Saturday. The Elysée expects at least 35 heads of state and government to participate, including Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP).
At the beginning of the evening celebration, a message from Pope Francis is read out. The archbishop must first inaugurate the organ and sing the traditional hymns Magnificat and Te Deum. A traditional ceremony outside the building will not take place due to severe weather warnings.
Star pianist was allowed to play in the cathedral
After the service, a cultural program will be shown, including Chinese star pianist Lang Lang (42), who was impressed by Notre-Dame: The playing inside was “majestic” and “an unforgettable moment”, he had “the most intimate” dialogue with the cathedral.
Lang Lang was enthusiastic about the restored cathedral: “The colors are much brighter now because everything has been renovated. The whole look is completely different from before.” The colorful stained glass windows also left a lasting impression: He was there during the day and in the evening and saw them: “It was really a dream.”
The cathedral was severely damaged by fire on April 15, 2019. The entire roof structure burned down and the cross tower fell burning into the nave. Thanks to generous donations from all over the world worth a total of 846 million euros, Notre Dame was able to be thoroughly restored in just over five years.
Since the restoration, the building has been virtually unrecognizable: the light limestone has been stripped of centuries-old soot and dirt. The cleaned windows let in more light than ever, allowing the fresh colors and gold leaf of the murals to shine. Tourists will soon be able to see this with their own eyes.
Source: Krone
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