President Emmanuel Macron of France was in the heart of Paris on Friday to check on the progress of the restoration of an 860-year-old limestone landmark: Notre Dame Cathedral, whose familiar silhouette is rising once again on the skyline of the French capital.
On a chilly, humid morning, Macron donned a hard hat and took a three-minute elevator ride to visit a new spire that is nearing completion atop the famed Gothic edifice that was ravaged by a devastating fire in April 2019.
His visit came one year to the day before Notre Dame is scheduled to reopen: Dec. 8, 2024.