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Reopening of Notre Dame and Tomas Van Houtryve
Last weekend, Paris marked the grand reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral, a momentous occasion for the city and the world. Situated on Île de la Cité, this iconic Catholic cathedral—a masterpiece of French Gothic architecture—was constructed over 800 years ago. Architectural marvels include its soaring rose windows, nave, ribbed vaults, expansive stained-glass windows, and flying buttresses. The event drew a distinguished crowd of French officials and international dignitaries, including President Emmanuel Macron, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Prince Albert II of Monaco, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and clergy members, as well as donors—around 1,200 notable guests in total.
A highlight of the reopening ceremony was the ringing of the 13-ton bell, Emmanuel, which had remained silent since 2019. Archbishop Laurent Ulrich struck the cathedral’s massive doors three times with a wooden staff, crafted from a beam salvaged from the fire five years ago. Following this, President Macron, his wife Brigitte, and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo entered the cathedral, now restored to its pristine white interior, where they were greeted by the voices of the Notre Dame de Paris Choir School. The reawakening of the Great Organ, silent since the fire, was another pivotal moment. The organ, blessed by the Archbishop, responded to his eight calls with what seemed to be spontaneous improvisations played by Olivier Latry, Vincent Dubois, Thierry Escaich, Thibault Fajoles, and Yves Castagnet, who performed on a temporary organ to symbolically revive its grandeur.
The ceremony also featured a service led by the Archbishop, a poignant speech by President Macron, a tribute to the Paris firefighters, and a concert, which was originally scheduled to take place on the esplanade. Due to inclement weather, however, part of the concert was broadcast as a recorded performance on television, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, the Venezuelan Music and Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The event boasted a stellar lineup, including French guitarist Vianney, South African soprano Pretty Yende, Russian-Swedish violinist Daniel Lozakovich, Chinese pianist Lang Lang, Pharrell Williams, and Garou. The performance concluded with a live rendition of ‘La Marseillaise,’ France’s national anthem.
Throughout history, Notre Dame has witnessed pivotal moments. During the French Revolution, it was desecrated, with its religious icons destroyed as symbols of the old regime. It was briefly converted into the Temple of Reason and later the Temple of the Supreme Being. In 1804, the cathedral served as the backdrop for Napoleon Bonaparte’s self-coronation, immortalized in Jacques-Louis David’s painting, completed in 1807 and now displayed in the Red Rooms of the Louvre. On August 26, 1944, General Charles de Gaulle celebrated the Liberation of Paris from German occupation at Notre Dame.
The cathedral’s place in popular culture is also immortalized in Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which was written to raise awareness of the building’s deteriorating state. Through its iconic characters, such as Quasimodo, the novel highlights social injustices and the marginalization of individuals, while underscoring the cathedral’s historical significance.
After the 2019 fire, Belgian photographer Tomas van Houtryve was granted rare access to document Notre Dame’s restoration. In a September 2023 interview at La Chapelle in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines, he reflected, “What struck me was the multi-generational aspect of this project. When Notre Dame was first built, its construction wasn’t expected to be completed in one generation. The artisans knew they might not see it finished in their lifetimes. It took an astonishing 130 years to complete. Gaining access to document Notre-Dame after the fire was similarly persistent, requiring about five months of negotiations.”
His haunting aerial photographs and traditional shots documenting the meticulous restoration work are now collected in the book 36 Views of Notre-Dame de Paris, published by Radius Books, with texts by Pauline Vermare and Victor Hugo. His work is also featured in the exhibition Ellen Carey + Tomas van Houtryve – Noir et Blanc, Topographies (October 31, 2024 – December 23, 2024), presented by the Baudoin Lebon Gallery and Galerie Miranda in Paris. The exhibition juxtaposes van Houtryve’s photographs with rare black-and-white pieces by Ellen Carey, drawn from her early experimental series Dings & Shadows (2011) and Photogenic Drawings (1999–2004).
The reopening of Notre Dame thus represented not only the revival of a cultural and historical landmark but also a powerful symbol in the context of the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict and the threat of nuclear risks. The grand celebratory gathering itself stood as a defiant moment of resilience, a beacon of hope for peace, and a statement against tyranny.
The celebrations will continue with an inaugural mass on Sunday, part of a series of masses through December 15, culminating in two performances of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Magnificat on December 17 and 18. Weekly concerts and various events will follow, lasting until Pentecost in June 2025.
