Take a first look inside the newly-renovated Notre Dame Cathedral as it prepares to open to the public for the first time in five years following a devastating fire.
Images broadcast live of a site visit by French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday (29 November) showed the renovated interior of the iconic cathedral as worshippers might have experienced it back in medieval times, its wide, open spaces filled with bright light on a crisp and sunny winter’s day that lit up the vibrant colors of the stained glass windows.
Macron entered via the cathedral’s giant and intricately carved front doors and stared up at the ceilings in wonder. He was accompanied by his wife, Brigitte, the archbishop of Paris and others.
Macron's visit kicked off a series of events ushering in the reopening of the 12th-century Gothic masterpiece. He will return on 7 December to deliver an address and attend the consecration of the new altar during a solemn Mass the following day.