Before-after shots show Notre-Dame five years after fire

STORY: On a Monday, April 15, 2019, the cathedral's roof burst into flames. Soon, it had engulfed the spire and almost toppled the main bell towers. Around the world, TV viewers watched with horror as the medieval building burned.

Macron, whose second and final term ends in 2027, wants the cathedral's restoration to lift the nation's mood - and his government's approval ratings.

The re-opening of Notre-Dame is scheduled for December 2024, and is currently running on schedule, according to the official leading the reconstruction project.