Notre Dame Cathedral Reborn!
- ellen
- Apr 15
- 4 min read
On April 15, 2019 at 6:18 pm a fire broke out in the roof of Notre Dame Cathedral. The world watched in horror as over 400 brave Paris fire fighters worked valiantly through the night to control it.
I was in Paris at the end of 2018 and noticed scaffolding on the roof around the spire - and thought nothing of it. Built starting in the 12th century, repairs were inevitable.
You can see the scaffolding on the roof in the photo to the left.
No one could anticipate the horror which would take place just four months later. Fortunately many priceless relics such as Jesus' crown of thorns and other objects had already been moved due to the pending renovations, either out of the cathedral or to the sacristy which was undamaged by the fire. Many that remained were removed the night of the fire by a human chain of workers.
I visit Paris every year and I posted an article not long after the fire and updated it in 2021: https://www.twoboomersabroad.com/post/notre-dame-then-and-now-a-tribute. Every time I've visited I've seen gradual progress although of course the interior hasn't been accessible. The cathedral opened to the public in December 2024, amazingly only five and a half years after the fire.
I was able to see the interior on my visit in April 2025 and it is stunning. There was discussion during the reconstruction about reimagining the interior to modernize it, but that was (fortunately in my opinion) struck down and it was repaired to reflect its previous design. In addition to rebuilding and repairing, the workers removed centuries of soot and dirt.
The view toward the altar when I visited in December 2018 and in April 2025
And the view toward the Rose window in 2018 and in 2025
Most of the roof was destroyed along with the spire. Amazingly however, the rooster reliquary on the spire survived and he's now back in his spot overlooking the city. The rooster contained three relics; a piece of the crown of thorns, a relic of St. Denis (the 3rd century martyr) and a relic from Sainte Geneviève, the patron saint of Paris. The relics have been replaced inside the new rooster which is made of golden copper and he shines brightly atop the spire, a symbol of hope.
There are three major rose windows in the cathedral and all three also survived. I remember nail-biting moments as we worried about the survival of the bell towers, but they were also thankfully saved.
What strikes you from the moment you enter is the light. Enjoy the photos below as I walked through the cathedral.
The Exterior
There is still work to be done on the exterior including the rebuilding of the flying buttresses at the eastern side of the building and the restoring of some of the stone facings and sculptures. It's estimated that this work will take another year or longer.
The Parvis de Notre Dame, the large square in front of the cathedral also known as Place Jean-Paul II, is now completely open and accessible.
Since the fire I've felt that there's something almost comforting about the cranes which can be seen from just about anywhere in Paris. They steer you to the location of the cathedral and they're proof that work is ongoing.
One of my favorite little parks in Paris is Square Jean XXIII just behind the cathedral to the east. It's a beautiful little haven. The photos below show the park as it was and what can be seen of it now - only the tops of trees behind the construction barricade. I look forward to the time when the public can take refuge there once again.
The sculptures on the facade take my breath away.
The faithful gargoyles have been given a face lift and continue to watch over the cathedral.
Getting In
In an effort to control the number of people at any one time, the cathedral has instituted a ticketing process. Free, timed tickets are available on its site: https://www.notredamedeparis.fr/en/.
This was the scene mid-morning in April when we visited. We did have a ticket and we walked right in.
As of this writing and despite years of intensive investigation, officials still aren't sure of the cause of the fire. Two theories that continue to prevail are cigarette smoking and an electrical short circuit. We may never know for sure. A plan is underway to create an endowment to help fund ongoing maintenance of the cathedral to avoid another catastrophe.
One thing I'm sure of, though, is that the world will soon have her fully back and the faithful rooster and gargoyles will continue to watch over her.
➜ Top Tips
Don't trust any website other than the official one indicated above for tickets - and never pay for them. Tickets are available for the current day and two days hence.
Be careful of major holidays when tickets may not be available.
If you can't get a ticket, there is a line for non-ticketed visitors which almost always guarantees that you'll get in after a short wait.
Under no circumstances should you NOT visit because you can't get a ticket!
There is no limit to the amount of time you can spend inside.
Mass is available every day.
The Treasury which contains valuable objects such as vessels, ornaments and books, is available to visit for a fee of €!2.
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