The fire of April 15, 2019 destroyed the Gothic monument and the main tourist attraction. (Reuters)
Paris:
The centuries-old Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral will be rebuilt as it was before being swallowed up last year, the public body responsible for its restoration announced on Thursday.
The fire of April 15, 2019 destroyed the Gothic monument and the main tourist attraction, destroying the spire and the roof in a disaster that amazed the nation.
A national heritage and architecture commission has approved plans to restore the cathedral to its last “complete, consistent and known” state, including the spire, the restoration body said in a statement.
President Emmanuel Macron promised after the fire to rebuild Notre-Dame within five years, and later suggested that a contemporary design could be used for the spire.
Church officials hope that Notre Dame will be open for mass by 2024, when Paris is to host the Olympic Games.
