Nov. 9 (UPI) — Eight bells inside the Notre Dame Cathedral rang out for this first time since a fire damaged the roof and spire of the historic church in Paris five years ago.
The bells rang out at about 10:30 a.m. local time Friday, singly at first followed by all ringing out together a month before the cathedral is scheduled to reopen.
The cathedral’s eight bells are located in its northern belfry, which was partially destroyed by the fire.
“Five years ago, a promise: to rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral together,” French President Emmanuel Macron said in a translated post on X. “Today, its bells are finally ringing thanks to the extraordinary work of so many of you.”
The cathedral has three new bells, the largest of which bears the inscription “Paris 2024” and rang during the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The other two new bells are smaller and were installed Thursday. The smaller bells are named “Chiara” and “Carlos.”
The April 2019 fire that closed the cathedral was caused by a suspected electrical problem.
Macron quickly announced the cathedral would be repaired and sought newer designs for the reconstruction.
A debate arose regarding whether the cathedral should be restored to its prior design or incorporate a more modern design.
The French Parliament ended the debate in 2019 by passing a bill requiring the reconstruction to “preserve the historic, artistic and architectural interest” of the church.
The Notre Dame Cathedral was built from the 12th to the 14th centuries with the spire being the first portion completed during the 13th century.
Subsequent damage required the spire to be replaced during the 19th century.