Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral officially reopens after restoration

The Star

France's iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral formally reopened on Saturday (Dec 7) for the first time after more than five years of intense reconstruction work to restore the nearly 900-year-old medieval building to its former glory from a devastating fire in 2019.   Read more at https://tinyurl.com/54j873nb  WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline

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00:00The word Merci illuminated the facade of Paris' iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral on Saturday as

00:11it reopened to the public, marking a heartfelt tribute to those who played a vital role in

00:17saving and restoring the Gothic masterpiece after the devastating fire five years ago.

00:23Ce soir, les cloches de Notre-Dame sonnent à nouveau, et l'orgue dans un instant s'éveillera.

00:34Musique d'espérance, familière aux Parisiens, à la France et au monde, les cloches de Notre-Dame

00:43sonnent à nouveau, qui ont scandé les heures du jour et celles de l'histoire.

00:50First responders, preservation experts, and craftspeople who contributed to the cathedral's

00:55recovery received a standing ovation that lasted nearly five minutes.

01:02The ceremony was led by Archbishop of Paris Laurent Ulrich, who struck the cathedral's

01:07doors three times with his crozier in a symbolic act of reopening.

01:13Macron expressed profound gratitude to all those who saved, helped, and rebuilt Notre-Dame de Paris,

01:20calling the restoration a gift to Paris, to France, and to the whole world.

01:26Nous avons redécouvert ce que les grandes nations pouvaient faire, réaliser l'impossible.

01:36Cette cathédrale fut ainsi la métaphore heureuse de ce qu'est une nation et ce que devrait être le monde.

01:47Fraternité d'un peuple déterminé à faire de grands choix, fraternité universelle et entre aides.

01:56The fire on April 15, 2019, nearly destroyed the 860-year-old landmark, but thousands of

02:04skilled artisans worked tirelessly for five years using traditional methods to restore

02:09or replace the cathedral's damaged elements, including wood, stone, and stained glass.

02:15Notre-Dame's history dates back to its first stone being laid in 1163, with construction

02:21continuing through the 12th and 13th centuries and significant additions made in later centuries.

02:28Thanks to global donations exceeding 840 million euros, approximately 3.94 billion ringgit,

02:36the restoration has been fully funded, with surplus funds available for future investments

02:41in the building, according to Macron's office.

02:58For more UN videos visit www.un.org

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