More than five years since a catastrophic fire destroyed large parts of the Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris, the bells of the historic church have rung once more.
On Friday morning, eight of the cathedral’s bells tolled for the first time since April 2019, according to Alexandre Gougeon, who managed their installation.
“Hearing the bells ring this morning was very moving,” Gougeon told CNN, adding that the project to install the bells had taken a year and a half. He described the ringing as “the culmination of a big project.”
The eight restored bells of the cathedral’s northern belfry, which was partially destroyed in the fire, rang together Friday morning as part of a technical test before Notre-Dame’s official reopening, which is slated for next month.
Three new bells were also presented to the public and installed in the cathedral on Thursday.
The biggest of the bells was donated by the organizing committee of the Paris Olympics. It previously rang in the Stade de France, the country’s national stadium, when athletes won or broke records during this summer’s Olympics.
“To see this bell once again is very precious to us, that it has a second life and an eternal life in the heart of Notre Dame,” Tony Estanguet, president of the Paris 2024 organizing committee, told French broadcaster BFM.
The restoration of the Notre-Dame bells represents an important milestone, as their tolling is the “most important” moment of the mass, according to the cathedral’s rector. “It really celebrates the victory of love. And it’s the very sign that hope is always present,” explained Olivier Ribadeau Dumas, also speaking to BFM.
In 2019, the 850-year-old building was engulfed by a devastating blaze, which burned for several hours.
Investigators have yet to determine the cause of the fire, though they believe it was accidental. Possible theories include that it could have been caused by a burning cigarette or an electrical malfunction, according to French prosecutors.
Located on the Île de la Cité, a small island in the Seine River in the center of Paris, the cathedral was one of the French capital’s most popular attractions and drew an estimated 13 million visitors each year.
French President Emmanuel Macron promised the public that reconstruction works would be completed within five years of the blaze, and that the cathedral would be rebuilt exactly as it was. The pledged reopening date is December 8.
And everything is on time, according to Philippe Jost, president of the public body responsible for conserving and restoring the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
“Everything is almost ready, which means we’re on schedule. We’re confident,” Jost told radio network RTL. “Every day the cathedral is more beautiful,” he added, crediting the 2,000 men and women who have worked on its restoration.
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