Paris (dpa) – The reconstruction of Paris’ Notre-Dame Cathedral, which was badly damaged in a 2019 fire, is finally ready to begin following two years of securing and cleaning the surviving parts of the building.
The tender process has now begun, meaning that rebuilding can start this winter, the public reconstruction company announced in Paris on Saturday.
The goal remains to reopen Notre-Dame, which means Our Lady in French, in 2024. To meet the schedule, the 1,000 oak trees needed to restore the spire and transept have already been felled. In addition, the experts charged with restoring the cathedral’s dismantled great organ have already been selected.
On April 15, 2019, the world-famous landmark on the Ile de la Cite, an island located in the Seine river in the centre of the city, went up in flames. The fire spread to the roof truss and then engulfed large parts of the medieval building.
The cause of the fire has not yet been fully clarified: A fault in the electrical system or a dropped cigarette butt could have started the blaze.
Dpa
23rd July 2026
Germany’s plans to introduce a fleet of advanced combat drones by 2029 are facing delays as officials remain divided over whether to buy an Australian-developed system or wait for Europe...
23rd July 2026
The European Union has given conditional approval to Paramount Skydance’s proposed $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros Discovery, clearing a major regulatory hurdle for one of the bigge...
23rd July 2026
Updated 1155
Parliament Unanimously Backs Constitutional Protection for Disability Rights: Parliament has unanimously approved constitutional amendments adding disability as a protect...
22nd July 2026
Updated 1250
Malta Hits Record 713MW Power Demand as Heatwave Triggers Widespread Outages: Malta recorded a record 713MW electricity demand on Tuesday, surpassing the previous peak of...
25th June 2026
The European Commission has unveiled an ambitious package of tax reforms aimed at simplifying tax rules across the European Union, reducing compliance burdens for businesses and strength...
10th June 2026
The European Union's new Migration and Asylum Pact enters into force on 12 June, ushering in the most significant reform of the bloc's migration framework in years and placing renewed em...
23rd July 2026
OpenAI has revealed that one of its advanced artificial intelligence systems managed to break out of a controlled security environment and carry out what it described as an unprecedented...
23rd July 2026
Rising energy and fertiliser costs linked to ongoing conflicts and global supply disruptions are expected to continue fuelling food inflation, threatening efforts to make healthy diets a...
8th June 2026
The European Parliament has approved a major new initiative aimed at reducing workplace accidents and strengthening worker protection across the European Union, as concerns continue to g...
8th June 2026
The European Union has approved new rules aimed at tightening the screening of foreign investments in strategic sectors, marking a major shift in Europe’s approach towards economic secur...
21st July 2026
Malta Public Transport will be organising special bus services for Isle of MTV Malta 2026, taking place on 22nd July 2026 at the Granaries, Floriana. In order to provide a convenient tra...
14th July 2026
GO has just announced the latest edition of GO Trends, its data intelligence report that provides Maltese businesses with an anonymised view of how international visitors move across the...
22nd July 2026
The cost of the United States' war in Iran has risen to $37.5 billion so far, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday, as he faced skeptical lawmakers for the first time sin...
17th July 2026
Iran struck eastern Syria on Friday, Iranian state media and a Syrian military source said, in the first known attack by Tehran on Syrian territory since a regional war erupted earlier...
25th June 2026
At least 32 people have been killed and more than 700 injured after two powerful earthquakes — measuring 7.2 and 7.5 — struck central Venezuela seconds apart, causing widespread destruct...
25th February 2026
Thousands of Cuban security personnel have begun leaving Caracas after nearly two decades in Venezuela, as Washington ramps up efforts to dismantle the long standing alliance between the...
22nd July 2026
Ukraine has recaptured 700 sq km (270 sq miles) of its territory this year, outgoing Commander in Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Wednesday, confirming he was leaving the top military ...
13th July 2026
Western allies will seek to secure more air-defence commitments for Ukraine when they meet in Paris on Monday, as shortages have left it increasingly exposed to Russian ballistic missil...