Notre-Dame Cathedral will soon reopen its doors after undergoing a five-year renovation period. A fire on April 15, 2019 left significant damage to the iconic cathedral and prompted its yearslong closure to the public. For over eight centuries, the cathedral has been a place of worship and gatherings, as well as a popular tourist attraction.

The cathedral has been under renovation since 2019, when it was badly damaged in a fire. Crews are testing the bells before the historic structure reopens on December 8

Notre Dame features both grotesques, which are decorative, and gargoyles, which double as rainspouts. Masons took damaged gargoyles down to be repaired, setting some alongside newly sculpted replicas,