Notre-Dame Cathedral gets ready for Christmas 1 year after reopening
Staff at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris are getting the world-famous landmark ready for Christmas, one year after it reopened following the devastating 2019 fire that nearly wiped it out.
Outside the cathedral, scaffolding serves as a reminder that the 850-year-old structure is still being restored, but preparations for the holiday season are well underway.
The nativity scene, where a small Bible will be replaced with a baby on Dec. 24, is once again a big draw for visitors.
"ABC News Live Prime" anchor Linsey Davis spoke with Philippe Jost, the secretary general of Notre Dame, who is overseeing the reconstruction of the cathedral.
"We are very, very happy of what has been done here," Jost told Davis of the progress so far, including an eight-month re-creation of the cathedral's original intricate spire.
"It's the soul of a cultural monument, Catholic monument, and it's the soul of all that people who [have] worked here have given to the monument," Jost added.
The Notre-Dame Cathedral reopened in December 2024, five years after a fire tore through the centuries-old landmark in April 2019. In addition to the reconstruction of the oak and stone building, thousands of statues and decorative features, including 52 famous chimera statues, were restored or re-created inside as well.
The cathedral's restored north and south towers opened again to visitors this past September.
To see more from inside the Notre-Dame Cathedral, tune in tonight on ABC News Live Prime.
