Notre Dame marks arrival of Paris Olympics’ iconic trackside bell as cathedral reopening nears

PARIS -- Paris’s Notre Dame cathedral, whose historical bells were silenced pursuing 2019’s devastating fire, will soon echo again pinch caller chimes.

On Thursday, nan Gothic landmark took transportation of 3 caller bells, including 1 that was utilized successful nan city’s Stade de France stadium during this year’s Paris Olympic Games.

The Olympic bell, a gift from nan Paris 2024 organizing committee, will beryllium installed alongside 2 smaller bells, named Chiara and Carlos, supra nan altar wherever they will beryllium rung during Mass, officials said.

Their presence up of Notre Dame's reopening connected Dec. 8 marks a milestone successful nan painstaking restoration and modernization of nan 861-year-old cathedral, made celebrated astir nan world by Victor Hugo's “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”

Olivier Ribadeau Dumas, rector of Notre Dame, expressed gratitude for nan bells’ presence during a ceremony.

“What a joyousness it is,” he said. “At nan astir important infinitesimal of nan Mass these bells will ring, conscionable arsenic they did erstwhile nan victor of a title could observe their victory.”

During nan Paris 2024 Games, nan iconic Olympic doorbell was rung by each way and section winner.

It bears nan people “Paris 2024,” while nan 2 others are adorned pinch a information awesome combining nan image of Notre Dame’s iconic rosary model pinch a monstrance, a belief alloy cardinal to nan cathedral’s altar.

Crafted by nan renowned Cornille Havard foundry, successful Villedieu-les-Poêles, Normandy, nan bells embody France’s distinguished bell-making tradition.

In a intense moment, Dumas consecrated nan bells pinch beatified h2o and a character branch.

Standing connected nan quadrate extracurricular nan cathedral, he and Tony Estanguet, caput of nan Paris 2024 organizing committee, struck nan bells pinch a woody mallet to people nan occasion.

“What a powerful awesome it is to spot this 2nd life fixed to nan Paris 2024 bell, which brought america truthful galore emotions during these Games,” Estanguet said.

The bells switch 3 that were antecedently positioned adjacent Notre Dame’s 19th-century spire, which dramatically collapsed during nan occurrence which ripped done nan cathedral’s rafters and roof.

The caller bells will beryllium placed successful a different location wrong nan cathedral, officials said, wherever their return will adhd to nan soundscape of Notre Dame’s regular life.

They subordinate the 8 historical bells from nan cathedral’s northbound building that were reinstalled successful September aft being cleaned and renovated.

Those bells—Gabriel, Anne-Geneviève, Denis, Marcel, Étienne, Benoît-Joseph, Maurice, and Jean-Marie—were primitively formed successful 2013 for Notre Dame’s 850th anniversary.

The cathedral’s 2 larger bells stay intact connected nan southbound building and were unaffected by nan blaze, officials added.

The reconstruction of Notre Dame has progressive much than 250 companies and hundreds of skilled craftsmen.

The Olympic doorbell isn't nan only awesome of aged gathering caller successful Notre-Dame’s evolving restoration.

Perched atop nan recently designed spire, a aureate rooster, reimagined by main designer Philippe Villeneuve, marks a blend of nan cathedral’s ancient tone pinch a modern touch.

The weathervane, which resembles a phoenix pinch flames licking its wings, is described arsenic a testament to dream and revival.