Parisians clapped from their balconies as the Notre Dame Cathedral’s bells tolled one year after an inferno gutted the historic church.
The enormous bell, which was cast in 1681, is traditionally only rung during major religious ceremonies, papal visits, or during the funerals of French presidents. Wednesday’s ringing was not only to mark the anniversary of the devastating fire but was also done at 8 p.m. in honor of the healthcare workers risking their lives during the coronavirus pandemic.
People across the world offered their support after the iconic cathedral set fire last year. Officials said that even with so many firefighters working to battle the blaze, the structure came within 30 minutes of being completely destroyed.
The cathedral is still undergoing restoration and will be in the coming years. To ring the bell, workers donned hazmat suits and masks to avoid the large quantities of poisonous lead that was spread about from the fire. The bell tolled for five minutes.
This was only the second time that the bell, which is the second-largest in France, has been heard since the tragedy. It was also rung last September to honor former French President Jacques Chirac, who died.
French President Emmanuel Macron has said he hoped the church would be rebuilt within five years, though there have already been delays.
“Our objective is to prepare the cathedral for mass on April 16, 2024,” Jean-Louis Georgelin told Reuters. Georgelin is charged with overseeing the building’s restoration.
The coronavirus pandemic has claimed the lives of more than 17,000 people in France and infected about 130,000.
Bell tolls at Notre Dame Cathedral one year after a fire devastated the landmark’s 800-year-old roof pic.twitter.com/O9uHLCDhvT
— QuickTake by Bloomberg (@QuickTake) April 15, 2020
