(Inside view of Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral in Paris October 18, 2012. REUTERS/Charles Platiau)
Quasimodo would be overjoyed.
Notre Dame Cathedral has had its lighting improved, a new viewing platform erected to appreciate its Gothic facade, its organ renovated and is about to have new bells made for a year-long 850th anniversary celebration that kicks off this week.
The graceful and inspiring Catholic church that has dominated Paris since the 12th century, survived the Hundred Years War, the French Revolution and two World Wars is being readied for an invasion of camera-wielding birthday visitors.
Nestled on an island in the Seine river, Notre Dame is a beloved religious, cultural and historical site in the City of Light that has no shortage of breathtaking showpieces.
“For 850 years this cathedral has been a symbol of beauty, truth and goodness which attracts generations to the water,” said Monsignor Patrick Jacquin, rector and archpriest of Notre Dame, speaking beneath it on the bank of the Seine.
