Images and video that emerged Friday show the first glimpse inside the restored Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris five years after a devastating fire.
French President Emmanuel Macron toured the iconic structure ahead of its reopening to the public on Dec. 8., describing the experience as “overwhelming,” Reuters reported.
Outside, the 12th-century monument is still a construction site, with scaffolding and cranes, but inside, the restoration – which included the removal of years of accumulated dirt – has revealed the cathedral’s bright colors once again.
“We are very eager to welcome the whole world under the roof of our cathedral,” Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich said on its website, according to Reuters. “On the night of April 15, [2019], hundreds of thousands of people committed themselves to what then seemed an impossible bet: to restore the cathedral and give it back its splendor within the unprecedented deadline of five years.”
NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL TO REOPEN, BRACES FOR INFLUX OF TOURISTS AFTER DEVASTATING FIRE
The nave of Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral is seen on Friday Nov. 29, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP/Stephane de Sakutin)
Carpenters worked by hand like their medieval counterparts as they hewed giant oak beams to rebuild the roof and spire that collapsed during the inferno.
Nearly $1 billion in donations were raised to rebuild Notre Dame in the days following the fire.
French President Emmanuel Macron, third right, and his wife Brigitte Macron visit the restored interiors of the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral on Friday. (AP/Christophe Petit Tesson)
Restoration chief Philippe Jost told The Associated Press that around $148 million of those funds still remain.
He noted that those funds will be used “in agreement with the patrons and donors to carry out needed work campaigns,” as Notre Dame faces continued demands for preservation and structural integrity.
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Notre Dame suffered a devastating fire in April 2019. (Pierre Suu/Getty Images)
The Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris, a nonprofit founded in 2017, has helped lead international fundraising efforts.
The tabernacle of the Notre Dame Cathedral is seen on Friday, Nov. 28. (AP/Stephane de Sakutin)
Michel Picaud, president of Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris, told Fox News Digital last week that the cathedral was already in a dire state prior to the fire.
NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL RECEIVES ITS ICONIC BELLS 5 YEARS AFTER FIRE
The 2019 fire caused the spire on top of Notre Dame to collapse. (Philippe Wang/Getty Images)
“The fire was a terrible event for us because suddenly we had not only to restore part of the cathedral but to rebuild it, which means the extent of what we had to do was much bigger. We were very hopeful that we would succeed in rebuilding this considerably,” Picaud said.
Windows in the heart of Notre Dame are seen on Friday, Nov. 28. (AP/Stephane de Sakutin)
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Macron will return on Dec. 7 to deliver an address and attend the consecration of the new altar during a solemn Mass the following day.
Fox News’ Ashley J. DiMella and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
