Notre Dame Has a Tentative Reopening Date Following Closure

For almost four years now, Paris famous Notre Dame cathedral has been the subject of an extensive renovation project, one which seeks to restore the building to its former glory. No small feat, considering the building was almost completely destroyed by a fire in 2019. That said, per a report from the Associated Press, French officials have set a tentative reopening date of December 2024. While the reconstruction likely won’t be completely finished, it looks like they’re trending to hit their target.

“My job is to be ready to open this cathedral in 2024. And we will do it,” Gen. Jean-Louis Georgelin, the army general overseeing the project, told the Associated Press. “We are fighting every day for that and we are on a good path.”

Notre Dame Wants to Reopen by 2024. How Is That Possible?

The ambitious timeline depends in part on a model that allows donors to “adopt” different aspects of the reconstruction

For the uninitiated, two days after the fire, French president Emmanuel Macron set a target date to reopen the cathedral in 2024, ahead of the Paris Olympics. Unfortunately, a December reopening means that the summer games will have concluded, but those hoping to sneak a peak of the cathedral before then will be pleased to know that this year will see the reemergence of Notre-Dame’s iconic spire.

“The return of the spire in Paris’ sky will in my opinion be the symbol that we are winning the battle of Notre Dame,” Georgelin said.

It’s been a massive undertaking — one that reportedly involves the work of over 1,000 people, all over the country — and will last at least into 2025. But that also makes the renovation in and of itself something to behold. Visitors can check out a new, and free, exhibition in front of the cathedral on Tuesdays called “Notre-Dame de Paris: at the heart of the construction site” — a testament of as much.