Notre Dame to hold first public service after five-year restoration

PARIS, France – Newly restored Notre Dame cathedral is set to hold its first service for the public on Sunday after a historic re-opening ceremony that saw firefighters, builders and artists celebrated for their work saving the 12th-century masterpiece.

The beloved Paris monument nearly burned down in 2019, but has been renovated inside and fitted with a new roof and spire during a frenzied reconstruction effort since then.

During a re-opening service on Saturday, attended by world leaders including incoming US president Donald Trump, French leader Emmanuel Macron expressed the "gratitude of the French nation" for the work.

"We have rediscovered what great nations can do -- achieve the impossible," he said.

One of the most moving moments came when firefighters in their protective gear walked through the congregation to thunderous applause as the word "Merci" ("Thank you") was beamed on the intricate facade and famous belltowers of the Gothic masterpiece.

The architectural wonder had been in danger of collapsing during the April 2019 blaze and was saved only by the heroic intervention of teams of firefighters pumping water from the nearby River Seine.

Sunday morning will see the first mass held in the presence of hundreds of bishops and priests from Paris and around France at 10:30 am (0930 GMT).

Paris archbishop Laurent Ulrich will lead prayers and consecrate the new altar which replaced the old one that was destroyed in 2019.

A second mass in the evening at 6:30 pm will be open to the public, with roughly 2,500 people who secured free tickets this week expected to attend.

The cathedral will open fully to visitors on December 16 via an online reservation system.

'Beautiful'

Saturday's service began with the archbishop Ulrich, dressed in brightly coloured new vestments designed by fashion designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, knocking on the doors of the cathedral three times.

Trump was placed on the front row as guest of honour next to Macron, with invitees marvelling at the freshly cleaned walls, new furniture and state-of-the-art lighting installed as part of the overhaul

Small crowds of Parisians and tourists gathered outside, braving wet weather and high winds to witness the renaissance of a monument that is a symbol of the French capital and one of its most visited landmarks.

"I find it really beautiful, even more so now that the spire has been restored," Marie Jean, a 27-year-old dentist from southwest France, told AFP outside.

The reconstruction effort cost around 700 million euros ($750 million), financed from donations, with the five-year re-opening deadline met despite predictions it could take decades.

Part of the cathedral's lead roofing base still needs to be finished and the statues of the apostles and saints, removed before the fire to allow for their restoration, will only be reinstalled in the first half of 2025.

The exact cause of the 2019 blaze has never been identified despite a forensic investigation by prosecutors, who believe an accident such as an electrical fault was the most likely reason.

Notre Dame welcomed around 12 million visitors a year before the fire, but expects to receive an even higher figure of "14 to 15 million" after the reopening, according to the church authorities.