As world leaders gather in Paris this weekend to mark the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral, Belgian contributions are at the heart of the five-year restoration project and the celebrations.
On 15 April 2019, the world watched on as a major fire partially destroyed the upper part of the Paris cathedral, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
By the time the fire was extinguished, the cathedral's wooden spire had collapsed, most of the wooden roof had been destroyed, and the cathedral's upper walls were severely damaged. The vaulted stone ceiling prevented extensive damage to the interior, which largely contained the burning roof as it collapsed.
Donations of almost $1 billion were pledged in the days following the fire, from both billionaire benefactors and countless small donors, to fund the restoration of the 861-year-old Gothic monument.
The blaze at Notre-Dame Cathedral in 2019. Credit: Wikimedia Commons
After more than five years of restoration works, the revived Notre Dame is due to open its doors to the public once again this weekend. A reopening ceremony on Saturday 7 December is expected to draw world leaders from around the globe.
Belgian contribution
As well as restoration of the internal wooden roof which was largely destroyed, there has also been an extensive redesign of the public space surrounding Notre Dame by a group of seven design teams led by Belgian architect and landscape designer Bas Smets.
Smets led a re-imagining of all the surroundings of Notre Dame, from the square in front of the cathedral, to the gardens behind it, the embankment along the River Seine and the conversion of a disused underground carpark into a visitors' centre.
Smets told The Brussels Times that the project focused on making the public space more resilient to climate change. It incorporates cooling features like guiding the breeze from the Seine through the space, planting more trees, and installing a water feature which can be activated on hot days.
He said that the redesign also aims to attract more Parisians back to the space which has been traditionally dominated by tourists.
"We expect 15 million visitors [per year], but we also wanted to bring the Parisians back, and make it a public space for them. We tried to connect all these monuments in a continuous park, that allows visitors to walk around and spend time on this amazing island which is really the cradle of Paris," he said.
Credit: Studio Alma for Bureau Bas Smets group
French President Emmanuel Macron visited the cathedral last week to meet with the some 2,000 workers (including Smets) who have helped to restore the Notre Dame over the past five years.
"It was a beautiful moment. I thought it was very nice that he first opened the cathedral to all those who had worked on it over the last five years," said Smets.
He added that working on the redesign of the historic site was particularly significant, as he first began his career in Paris at the age of 24.
"I lived in Paris for seven years, so it was very nice to come back to a city that I know so well, that was so important in my career, and work on the most symbolic and most important place. It is an enormous honour and responsibility to have had the opportunity to work on it," he said.
An architectural rendering of the completed works. Credit: Bureau Bas Smets
There will also be a Belgian element to the reopening celebrations this weekend: Bruges-based company Arte Houssard has been commissioned by the Archdiocese of Paris to manufacture 260 stoles for the festivities. (A stole is a band of coloured silk worn like a long scarf over the shoulders by priests, deacons and bishops.)
"It is an honour to present our garments while the world focuses on Notre Dame," said company head Marc Schotte.
The company has produced 100 stoles for canons and 160 for deacons. Recently, Arte Houssard supplied the papal vestments for the outdoor mass at King Baudouin Stadium during Pope Francis' visit to Belgium in September.
French President Emmanuel Macron visits the Notre Dame on 29 November 2024. Credit: Belga / AFP
Weekend agenda
The schedule for the weekend includes an official inauguration ceremony on Saturday afternoon. It will begin at around 17:00, and French President Emmanuel Macron will deliver a speech outside the cathedral's doors.
Then, Archbishop Laurent Ulrich of Paris will strike the closed door of Notre Dame de Paris with his crosier, and the cathedral choir will chant Psalm 121 three times.
The doors will be opened, and the archbishop will lead a religious service and bless the great organ, which was not damaged in the fire but had to be cleaned of toxic lead dust.
At 21:00 on Saturday night, there will be a televised concert held on the square outside the cathedral.
The inaugural mass is scheduled for Sunday morning at 10:30, which will feature the consecration of the altar.
Notre Dame cathedral also reopens to the public on Sunday 8 December, although access to its towers remains closed until further notice.
World leaders flock to Paris
Over 40 heads of state and government, including the Belgian royal couple King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, will attend the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral on Saturday, according to a statement by the French presidency.
Incoming US President Donald Trump will be attendance, marking his first visit to Europe since the presidential election. Outgoing President Joe Biden will be represented by his wife Jill Biden.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been invited, and a diplomatic source has said "he feels like coming and most probably he will come", according to Belga.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Friday that she will not be attending the reopening ceremony in Paris, contradicting earlier statements.
On Thursday, the Commission had confirmed von der Leyen's attendance at a press conference, but there was an "internal miscommunication". The spokesperson reiterated on Friday that von der Leyen "will not be in Paris".
Von der Leyen sealed the deal on a trade agreement with Latin American countries on Friday which the French strongly opposed.
Royal attendees will include the Belgian King and Queen, as well as Prince William of the UK and Prince Albert of Monaco.
