President Emmanuel Macron is set to honor around 100 individuals at the Elysee Palace for their significant contributions to the restoration of Notre Dame. The ceremony will coincide with the anniversary of the fire that nearly destroyed the iconic cathedral in 2019. Macron praised the teamwork involved, stating, 'You have achieved what was thought impossible.' Among those to be honored are Philippe Jost and architects Remi Fromont and Philippe Villeneuve, acknowledging the collective effort of around 2,000 participants in the restoration. The cathedral now sees an average of 30,000 daily visitors post-restoration.
"You have achieved what was thought impossible," Macron told restoration workers and officials after he toured the cathedral last November, days before the cathedral re-opened to the public on December 7th.
Macron will once again speak of France's 'pride' over the operation's success, according to his team, which said an average of 30,000 people a day now visit the restored cathedral.
Jost succeeded Jean-Louis Georgelin, the general who had been put in charge of overseeing the restoration but who died in 2023.
Alongside them, nearly 100 civil servants, entrepreneurs and craftspeople will be awarded the Legion of Honour or the National Order of Merit.
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