Rising from the flames: Paris Notre-Dame Cathedral, two years later

On the evening of April 15, 2019, the world watched in horror as the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris went up in flames and its burning spire crashed through the ceiling. Firefighters battled into the night to save the 850-year-old building. When the flames spread, Notre-Dame had a very real risk of collapse but fortunately it remained standing.

Two years later, work is still underway to remove the cathedral’s fragile medieval structure and pave the way for its renovation, which is scheduled to begin in earnest this summer. The epic project has faced setbacks, including lead pollution, bad weather and the Covid-19 pandemic. As such, it will be an uphill climb to meet the ambitious five-year deadline set by French President Emmanuel Macron.

FRANCE 24’s journalists Catherine Norris-Trent and Mélina Huet gained access to the ongoing work in the heart of Notre-Dame and met men and women who competed to save the much-loved monument.

>> “Bravo” Macron tells the workers on the Notre-Dame roof, two years after the fire