PARIS – Two years after a fire tore through Paris’ most famous cathedral and shocked the world, French President Emmanuel Macron is visiting the building site that Notre Dame has become Thursday to show that French heritage has not been forgotten despite the coronavirus.
Flanked by ministers, architects and the retired French army general who is overseeing the restoration of the 12th century monument, Macron plans to inspect the progress of the ambitious rebuilding project to give the pandemic-weary French public some hope that a completion date will arrive one day, if not in the near future.
Macron promised the cathedral would be rebuilt by 2024, yet officials acknowledge the work won’t be fully completed by then.