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The bells of Notre-Dame ring out for the first time since the fire

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The Editor

© Skreidzeleu / Shutterstock

Just one month away from the reopening of the Parisian cathedral, after 5 years of massive renovation work following the fire that destroyed the roof in April 2019, the famous bells of Notre-Dame rang out once again on the morning of Friday, November 8th.

This Friday morning, a true symbol echoed through the streets of the capital's center. For the first time in over 5 years, the eight bells of Notre-Dame rang out around 10:30, exactly one month before the doors of this sacred space reopen. The bells began to chime one by one thanks to a motor, before playing together a melody that hasn’t been heard in a long time.


The opening process has begun

According to Philippe Jost, head of the public institution responsible for the cathedral's restoration, “it’s a beautiful, important, symbolic step” towards getting the bells of Quasimodo's friends back in action. And it shouldn’t be long now.

Let's stop right there, because after this first phase of testing (which was very satisfactory), there should be others happening several times over the coming weeks to fine-tune the smallest details. Just one more step towards reopening, to ensure that everything works properly.

Just a quick reminder that after the fire on April 15, 2019, when part of the bell tower was on fire, the eight bells were removed to be cleaned and restored, especially to get rid of the lead dust that had settled on them. Gabriel (a lovely baby weighing 4 tons), Anne-Geneviève, Denis, Marcel, Étienne, Benoît-Joseph, Maurice, and Jean-Marie (the smallest, barely 800 kg) have now found their rightful place at the heart of the cathedral, and we hope they will stay there for a long while.


Lots of new things!

But they are no longer the only bells ringing within the building, as 3 new friends joined them yesterday. 3 bells cast in honor of the Paris 2024 Olympics, and the biggest one made a memorable impression on the rugby and athletics events with its presence at the Stade de France all summer long, arrived yesterday. But to ensure that they resonate harmoniously with the others, these three monumental works were created in the same workshop that handled the restoration of the original bells. Phew.

These three bronze creations are certainly not the only new thing to discover starting from December 7th, as the entire furnishings of the cathedral have also been renewed. We actually revealed the first visuals a few months ago. And to fully enjoy all of this, the curious will benefit from a brand new tour experience. And while we wait for next month, we're already all ears, just to get into the mood.