Member-only story
From Ashes to Awe: Inside Notre Dame’s Stunning Transformation
Notre Dame Cathedral Reopens With Stunning Changes and Unearthed Treasures
On December 8, the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris will officially reopen after years of clearing, rebuilding, and restoration following the 2019 fire that nearly destroyed the 12th century building.
My wife and I had the privilege of visiting Notre Dame in 2017. The exterior is impressive, but words struggle to capture the experience inside. Those who enter Notre Dame this Sunday, however, will experience mass in the cathedral in a way no one alive has ever experienced it.
A New, Old Interior
Before the fire, centuries of dust, dirt, and grime had coated every millimeter of stone inside Notre Dame. The walls. The vaulted ceilings. The statues. Every stone inside the cathedral had slowly turned into the dull gray we associate with the great medieval cathedral.
The restoration effort brightened the stone to a pale white, similar to the shade of a spent LED lightbulb. An muted space of darkness and candles has become a bright hall that seems to sing. Take a look for yourself.