Rejoice, people!
One of the most celebrated Christian Cathedrals is singing again, with its eight bells giving out the clearest tone to lift out spirits.
The Notre-Dame in Paris’ bells rang out together today (8), for the first time since the 2019 fire that devastated it.
The heart-filling sound comes a month before the cathedral is to reopen, after more than five years of difficult restoration work.
Le Monde reported:
“Shortly before 10:30 am on Friday, the bells sounded one by one until all eight chimed in harmony. ‘It’s not perfect yet, but we will make it perfect’, said Alexandre Gougeon who is in charge of the re-installation of the bells. ‘This first test was a success’.
‘This is a beautiful, important and symbolic step’, said Philippe Jost, who runs the public body tasked with restoring the cathedral under challenging circumstances.”
It was April 19, 2019, when both Parisians and Christians around the world watched in horror as the fire destroyed the holy place and then toppled its beautiful spire.
President Emmanuel Macron set to rebuild Notre-Dame within five years, and vowed to make it “even more beautiful” than before.
250 companies and hundreds of experts from around the world were used in a restoration that ended up costing hundreds of millions of euros.
“The 2019 fire destroyed part of the northern belfry, requiring it to be restored and the bells to be removed, cleaned of dust and lead, and then returned to their space. The heaviest bell, called “Gabriel”, weighs over four tons, and the lightest, “Jean-Marie”, is 800 kilograms. A weekend of ceremonies is planned to mark Notre-Dame’s reopening on December 7 and 8.”
Forbes reported:
“Videos were posted on X and other social media platforms Friday morning showing the bells of the famous Parisian landmark ringing for the first time since the devastating fire in April 2019.”
The eight church bells in Notre-Dame de Paris are mounted in the two main bell towers.
As the bells rang out, France prepares for the grand reopening of the cathedral.
“’If you’ve ever been to see Notre Dame—and even if you haven’t—there is something about that glorious noise that lifts the heart’, said Susan Campbell, lecturer in the Communication, Film, and Media Studies Department at the University of New Haven. ‘It’s also a beautiful palate cleanser from divisive politics’.”
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