From top of Paris Notre-Dame spire, Macron pledges reopening in a year

Statues protected by tarpaulins are seen in the choir of the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral, which was ravaged by a fire in 2019 that sent its spire crumbling down, as restoration works continue a year before its reopening to the public, in Paris, France, December 8, 2023. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/Pool

PARIS (Reuters) - From scaffolding at the top of Notre-Dame's newly rebuilt spire, French President Emmanuel Macron pledged on Friday that reconstruction of the fire-ravaged cathedral would be completed as scheduled and that it would reopen one year from now.

The wooden spire crashed spectacularly through the cathedral's centuries-old roof in the fire that ripped through the Paris landmark on April 15, 2019. While still surrounded by metal scaffolding, the spire has again been part of the skyline since late last month.