5 years after the fire that sparked off an immense wave of international emotion, the restored Cathedral is emerging more beautiful than ever from what was "the reconstruction work of the century". Thanks to international generosity - particularly from the US: Americans are the top foreign contributors for the restoration - and French know-how, the emblematic monument will once again reveal its brilliance to visitors from all over the world, on December 7 and 8. Impossible is not French!

5 years after the violent fire of April 15, 2019, thanks to all those who participated in its reconstruction, the world's most famous Cathedral is finally prepared to reopen to the public. Americans are the top foreign contributors, with more than 45,000 donors contributing $63 million. A symbol of the unique bond between our countries, and of the Americans' attachment to France and its heritage!

Notre-Dame Cathedral, located on the Ile de la Cité, is one of the most symbolic monuments in Paris and France. It's also one of the most visited monuments in Europe and the world!

Credit: J. Litvine/MEAE

Notre-Dame Cathedral has a history stretching back thousands of years. Construction began in 1163, under the initiative of Bishop Maurice de Sully, and continued until the mid-14th century. After the French Revolution, the Cathedral underwent major restoration, with the construction of a new spire.

Credit: J. Litvine/MEAE

Notre-Dame has witnessed many significant events in French history: the arrival of the Sainte-Couronne in 1239, the coronation of Napoleon I in 1804, the baptism of the last of the Bourbons in 1821, and the 850th anniversary of its construction celebrated in 2013.

Credit: J. Litvine/MEAE