PARIS — More than five years since a date Terrible fire destroyed The bells of the historic church rang once again throughout much of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.

The video in the player above is from a previous report.

On Friday morning, the cathedral’s eight bells rang for the first time since April 2019, according to Alexandre Gougeon, who oversaw the installation.

“It was very moving to hear the bells ringing this morning,” Gougeon told CNN, adding that the project to install the bells took a year and a half. He described the ringtone as “the culmination of a huge project”.

The eight restored bells of the cathedral’s north bell tower, which was partially destroyed by fire, rang together on Friday morning as part of a technical test ahead of Notre-Dame’s official opening, scheduled for next month.

Three new bells were also presented to the public and installed in the cathedral on Thursday.

The largest of the bells was donated by the Paris Olympics organizing committee. He previously played at the Stade de France, the country’s national stadium, when athletes won or broke records at this summer’s Olympics.

Tony Estanguet, president of the Paris 2024 organizing committee, told French broadcaster BFM: “It is very valuable for us to see this bell once again; it has a second life and an eternal life in the heart of Notre Dame.”

The restoration of the bells of Notre-Dame represents an important milestone, as the ringing of the bells of Notre-Dame is the “most important” moment of the service, according to the cathedral’s rector. “This really celebrates the triumph of love. And this is the sign that there is always hope,” Olivier Ribadeau Dumas told BFM.

In 2019, the 850-year-old building was engulfed by a devastating fire that burned for several hours.

Investigators have not yet determined the cause of the fire but believe it was accidental. Possible theories include that it could have been caused by a lit cigarette or an electrical malfunction, according to French prosecutors.

Located on le de la Cité, a small island in the center of Paris on the Seine River, the cathedral was one of the French capital’s most popular tourist attractions, attracting an estimated 13 million visitors each year.

French President Emmanuel Macron promised the public that the reconstruction work would be completed within five years after the fire and that the cathedral would be rebuilt exactly as it was. The promised reopening date is December 8.

According to Philippe Jost, head of the public agency responsible for the protection and restoration of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, everything is happening on time.

Speaking to RTL radio channel, Jost said, “Everything is almost ready, which means we are moving according to schedule. We are confident.” “The cathedral is more beautiful every day,” he added, thanking the 2,000 men and women who worked on the restoration.

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