Hollie Cole
Live reporter

Image source, Reuters

More than five years after Notre-Dame Cathedral caught fire, it has risen from the ashes and been transformed into a spectacular sight.

Earlier today, we watched France's President Emmanuel Macron tour the rebuilt cathedral, with its impressive height, colourful stained glass, and restored sculptures.

He ended his tour with a speech, thanking those involved in restoring the Parisian building, saying: "You did your alchemy here on this site to turn charred coals into art."

You won't have to wait long to step inside Notre-Dame Cathedral yourself - it'll open its doors to the public on 7 December.

Can't wait until then? Our Paris correspondent, Hugh Schofield, has been reporting from inside the cathedral today.

We're wrapping up our live coverage now - thanks for joining us today! This page was brought together by me, Amanda Kirton, Henri Astier, and Tinshui Yeung.

Aside from the video, we've also got some pictures to show you what happened today—and, of course, the beauty inside Notre-Dame.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Image source, Reuters

Our Paris correspondent, Hugh Schofield, has just described visiting the cathedral as a "superb experience".

While we can't visit the cathedral just yet, here's a video to show you what it's like inside.

Hugh Schofield
BBC Paris correspondent

A small group of us journalists were allowed into the cathedral to hear President Macron’s address to the artisans and donors.

A superb experience.

We were ushered around the apse, at the eastern end of the cathedral, then down to a position in the nave near the front.

It is – as the president says – a metamorphosis. Such clarity of light. I’ve been using the word “honey-coloured” all day to describe the stone, but I realise now it’s not accurate. (In fact, it’s a cliché!)

The cleaned-up stone is much whiter than that. The French are calling it blonde, and that is about right. Blonde or honey, it lifts the place. The colours in the side-chapels are another highlight. And the paintings – you can actually see them now!

All in all, even if you feel you know the place backwards – you’re definitely going to want to see it again now.

Notre-Dame Cathedral was filled as France's President Emmanuel Macron gave a speech ahead of its reopening on 7 December. Here's a breakdown of what he said:

• The president began by saying the fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral in April 2019 was an event that "affected the people of France" and Catholics worldwide
• He praised the Parisian firefighters for their courage in running into the flames, adding that they "saved this cathedral"
• Turning his speech to donors, he expressed gratitude for their solidarity and said their "generosity" made it possible to rebuild Notre-Dame Cathedral
• Macron praised and thanked those involved in rebuilding and restoring the cathedral, paying tribute to Jean-Louis Georgelin - a retired general who oversaw the reconstruction until his death last year
• He said the workers "re-baptised this site, you gave five years of your lives", before ending his speech by saying "France is so deeply grateful"

Image source, Getty Images

During his speech, Macron has also paid tribute to Jean-Louis Georgelin, a retired general who oversaw the cathedral's reconstruction until his death last year after a fall in the Pyrénées at the age of 74.

Visibly moved, the president said: "He should have been with us. I believe he would have been proud and happy."

Image source, Reuters

Emmanuel Macron is continuing his speech, expressing his joy at the prospect of seeing the faithful and visitors return to Notre-Dame Cathedral.

Turning to talk about the workers involved in restoring the cathedral, he says they "allowed this place to be reinvented".

"You re-baptised this site, you gave five years of your lives," he says, adding that they made Notre-Dame the "best construction site of the entire century".

France's president then thanks the workers' families, acknowledging their role in the "sacrifice" to ensure the cathedral was restored within five years.

"I am so deeply grateful, France is so deeply grateful. You have brought Notre-Dame back in five years, so thank you."

Applause erupts in Notre-Dame Cathedral as Macron finishes his speech.

France's president is now praising the people involved in the rebuilding and restoration of Notre-Dame Cathedral.

He says 2,000 men and women "spent their days and nights here". He adds that they have "put your part into 800 years of history", referring to the cathedral's age of over 800 years.

"Throughout this chain of history, you have evoked this hope," he says.

Emmanuel Macron goes on to say the cathedral has been a "treasure of the people who worked on it".

"It really is the metaphor for the life of the nation."

France's president then expresses gratitude for the solidarity shown worldwide and by donors.

"It is your generosity that made it possible to rebuild Notre-Dame," he says.

He continues, saying that the cathedral is the "soul of our country" and "belongs to everyone", adding that it's part of France's heritage and history.

"We didn't want a single cent of donations to go to waste."

Speaking to the crowd, Macron says the restoration was carried out with goodwill, hard work, and commitment.

He thanked the Paris firefighters for their courage in running into the flames.

He mentioned that the firefighters faced the greatest threats and "saved this cathedral".

Image source, Reuters

President Emmanuel Macron stands on a small platform amidst a crowd in Notre-Dame Cathedral.

He begins by stating that the fire was an event that "affected the people of France" and Catholics worldwide.

He adds that the cathedral's reopening will be a "shock of hope".

Image source, Getty Images

The cathedral is filling up with people, and French President Emmanuel Macron is about to give a speech.

Stick with us as we bring you his key points.

Image source, EPA

A little bit earlier, the tour group was examining some of the statues that make up The Vow of Louis XIII.

They were told that one of the statues was being restored four months before the fire in April 2019. But after the fire, it was covered in soot and lead discolouration.

The group heard that the lead on its hands was left as it is for its "symbolic value".

Image source, Reuters

Macron is now visiting the organ at Notre-Dame, which is the largest in France.

He is told that this is the cherry on top when it comes to the restoration.

"We couldn't call this the restoration without restoring this piece here," Macron is told.

The restoration team knew it would take five years to restore because it has approximately eight thousand pipes.

The pipes were taken out of the cathedral to three different workshops in the south of France, where they worked on cleaning them.

Macron is hearing how heating, burning fuel, and various other factors contributed to masking things in the cathedral.

The visitors were told that murals and paintings were not only damaged in the fire but also covered in grime over the centuries. They have now been cleaned using a technique that targeted the accumulated grease, and any missing colours have been filled in.

Macron is also told that It was a "real effort" to restore all the sculptures, paintings, and stained glass at the same time. However, by finishing the work, the restoration team has managed to "bring the lustre back to the cathedral".

France's president is now being shown the Clôture du chœur, a sculpted wall depicting scenes from the life of Jesus Christ.

Emmanuel Macron is told that the stone sculptures are among the oldest parts of Notre-Dame Cathedral, dating back to the 14th Century.

There was an "advanced stage of degradation" on the wall, so a "lot of cleaning" was carried out, Macron is told. A "key stage" in restoring the sculpted wall involved re-fixing and consolidation.

He is informed that halos on the wall had been "severely worn away" before the fire in April 2019.

Macron hears that workers had to ensure they re-stabilised the piece to prevent further wear.

Image source, Reuters

Notre-Dame's Gothic spire was an iconic part of the cathedral. It collapsed during the 2019 fire, a major loss that broke the hearts of many in France.

The renowned spire dates back to the 12th Century and has undergone several changes throughout the building's history. During the French Revolution, it was dismantled but was later rebuilt in the 1860s.

Image source, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Macron is at the spire of Notre-Dame.

He was told that this spire symbolises Notre-Dame and showcases the skill of those who worked on it, as well as the generosity of the donors.

The French president was informed that Notre-Dame couldn't have achieved this without the help of project managers, engineers, designers, the public body, and the sacrifices made by their families to support these workers.

He was praised for putting so much energy into the project to make it successful.

Macron has been heavily involved in the renovation of Notre-Dame and has repeatedly visited the cathedral throughout the process.

Image source, Getty Images

The cathedral, as Macron visits, is bare.

However, Notre-Dame will eventually be fitted with new, specially designed furniture. This includes sleek pews approved by the Paris archdiocese.

Image source, Reuters

President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron are now up on the roof among the wooden beams.

They are told that large pieces of wood came from all over France and from donated oak trees.

The tour of the roof continues, with the couple being informed that different timber pieces needed to be labelled to keep them apart.

Macron hears that each piece was made from one tree.