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Four years after a fire tore through Paris' Cathedral of Notre Dame, reopening by the end of 2024 seems within reach. Bill Whitaker joined the construction team to see how far it's come.
Retired French Army Gen. Jean-Louis Georgelin, who was tasked with restoring the Notre Dame Cathedral after it was severely damaged in a 2019 fire, has died at the age of 74.
Soon after the 2019 fire that toppled the spire of Notre Dame and consumed its timber-and-lead roof, French President Emmanuel Macron named Georgelin to lead the restoration work.
"The heart of the spire" for the iconic, fire-damaged Paris church has been reconstructed using ancient ways and ancient wood, and some help from modern technology.
Bill Whitaker was given rare access to the painstaking restoration of Notre Dame. Workers and artisans are reviving the cathedral after a 2019 fire.
It was not clear how the builders "dared — and succeeded — in putting up such thin walls to such a height," the author of a study about the cathedral said.
The cathedral will be reopened to the public in December 2024 after extensive renovations to repair damage from the 2019 fire.
Scientists have already peeked into the sarcophagus using an endoscopic camera, revealing part of a skeleton and as-yet unidentified objects.
Among the tombs was a "completely preserved, human-shaped sarcophagus made of lead," France's culture ministry said.
"Sunday Morning" gets rare access to the interior of the Parisian landmark as it undergoes repairs following the devastating 2019 fire – and talks with the former military general in charge of completing the effort by 2024.
This week marks two years since the Notre Dame Cathedral caught fire in Paris. French President Emmanuel Macron visited the centuries-old church Thursday. He still believes reconstruction will be complete by the 2024 Olympic games. CBS News' Elaine Cobbe reports.
Members wore hard hats and protective suits. The medieval Paris landmark suffered a devastating blaze in April 2019.
Reconstruction of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris has reached a milestone. Crews removed the final piece of metal scaffolding that threatened the stability of the church. Elaine Cobbe reports from Paris.
Reconstruction of Notre Dame Cathedral has reached a milestone. Crews removed the final piece of metal scaffolding threatening the stability of the church. Elaine Cobbe reports from Paris.
The devastating fire earlier this year at Notre Dame cathedral in Paris left the historic structure so badly weakened there's a 50% chance it won't survive, the rector said in a Christmas interview. CBS News' Cindy Pom has details.
The bells at Notre Dame cathedral rang out over the city of Paris exactly one year after a devastating fire tore through the landmark church. Effort to restore the cathedral have now been stalled due to the spread of COVID-19. Kristin Romney, an archaeology writer and editor at National Geographic, joined CBSN to discuss.
One year has passed since a massive fire destroyed Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Restoration work has been slow and painstaking, and the site was closed amid fears for the workers' safety as the coronavirus pandemic gripped France. CBS News' Elaine Cobbe reports from Paris.
Eight months after the devastating fire, historic cathedral in Paris "is not out of danger," the rector said on Christmas Eve.
Even though their fortunes get bigger by the month, their pledges of more than $500 million are mostly still just promises
Many of the redesign proposals highlight environmental sustainability
It had withstood a war, a revolution, neglect, and the impact of up to 40,000 tourists a day. But there is so much more than stone to the Parisian cathedral damaged by fire this week
The smell of tear gas mixed with black smoke choked the air
"We don't know if it's enough or not," a Notre Dame spokesperson said
Fire burned through network of oak beams supporting Notre Dame's vaulted stone ceiling, dangerously weakening it
Authorities say fire-weakened landmark is still very fragile but officials are in very beginning stages of mapping reconstruction
