Plans underway to rebuild Notre-Dame Cathedral amid outpouring of global support

World Today

Plans underway to rebuild Notre-Dame Cathedral amid outpouring of global support

Support is pouring in from around the world following the fire that devastated the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.

Hundreds of millions of dollars have already been pledged to restore the landmark.

And the government already has a plan for replacing one important piece that was lost to the flames.

CGTN’s Stefan de Vries explains.

Only two days after the fire that struck Notre-Dame, the French government announced an international architecture competition to rebuild the spire of the cathedral.

“This international competition will decide whether we will have to build a new spire, whether we should rebuild one similar to the old spire, identical, or if we need to, as is often done by redeveloping monuments, give the Paris Notre-Dame a new spire, adapted to our era,” said Edouard Philippe, Prime Minister of France.

Parisians and tourists are still gathering near the cathedral to see with their own eyes what has happened to the beloved monument. But horror was replaced by hope.

The French Minister of Culture has announced that there is already enough money to start rebuilding the world famous monument.

Donations have poured in from around the world for the restoration efforts.

It is expected that the total amount pledged will reach 1 billion euros on Thursday.

“I think we should be very happy that, apart from all the emotions, a very large number of the French want to participate in these efforts,” said Philippe.

In a televised speech, President Macron promised the nation that the cathedral would be even more beautiful and the cathedral would be restored within five years.

But experts are less optimistic. They think rebuilding Notre-Dame may take decades.