Almost a year after a massive fire had set ablaze Paris‘ 850-year-old Notre Dame Cathedral, parts of it are likely to reopen for public soon. By Tanvi Jain
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Almost a year after since the tragic fire brought severe damage to The Notre Dame Cathedral of Paris, crypt and parts of it are likely to reopen to public in Spring. The April 2019 fire had devoured the roof, and partly demolished the structure of the 850-year-old building, thereby sending shock-waves not only across France, but other parts of the world as well.
Since then, dozens of workers have been repairing the building, that President Emmanuel Macron had vowed to reopen within five years of the ablaze. And as per the latest announcement, parts of the cathedral might be made accessible to public in the first half of the year.
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As per reports, the workers have so far managed to sort the rubble under tents set up in the forecourt, strengthened the flying buttresses and other damaged parts of the buildings, and have also prepared to remove a massive scaffolding that was set up around the cathedral’s roof before the fire. The park behind the cathedral, and the plaza nearby, were shut after the fire, amid fears of lead contamination from the damaged roof and spire.
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However, opening the cathedral for public still comes with risks, due to which certain safety measures need to be taken — one of them being cleaning up traces of lead and rubble from the area. As per reports, as much as 440 metric tonnes had melted off the cathedral’s roof during the fire, which had also raised concerns about the air quality and toxicity. The lead levels were reportedly 1,300 times above the country’s safety guidelines.
The Notre Dame Cathedral which dates to the year 1163, was also featured in Victor Hugo’s classic novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.
Related: Here Are 5 Things You Didn’t Know About Notre-Dame Cathedral
