Macron Honours Notre Dame Restoration Heroes with National Awards

French President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to the dedicated craftspeople and officials who restored the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral, presenting national honours to around 100 individuals during a ceremony held Tuesday evening at the Élysée Palace.

The event coincided with the anniversary of the tragic blaze that engulfed the Gothic masterpiece on April 15, 2019 — nearly destroying one of France’s most beloved cultural and religious landmarks.

"In just five years, thanks to you, Notre-Dame-de-Paris was rebuilt to be more beautiful than it was before," President Macron said, addressing the honourees. “If we are here tonight, it is thanks to the heroism of our firefighters, the generosity of patrons and foundations, and above all, the skill and dedication of thousands of artisans, workers, professionals, police officers, and citizens.”

Among those in attendance were Jean-Claude Gallet, former chief of the Paris fire brigade during the fire, Prime Minister François Bayrou, and Culture Minister Rachida Dati.

Macron awarded Philippe Jost, who led the public body responsible for overseeing the cathedral's reconstruction, with the title of Commander of the Legion of Honour—France’s highest civilian distinction. Jost succeeded General Jean-Louis Georgelin, the restoration’s original coordinator, who tragically passed away in 2023. Georgelin was posthumously awarded the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, the order’s most prestigious rank.

Notable architects Rémi Fromont and Philippe Villeneuve, who played key roles in the restoration’s architectural vision, were also decorated. Nearly 100 civil servants, entrepreneurs, and artisans received the Legion of Honour or the National Order of Merit for their exceptional contributions.

These honourees represent a larger community of roughly 2,000 individuals involved in the ambitious five-year restoration. They came from a wide range of specialties, including carpentry, ironwork, scaffolding, rope access, organ restoration, and stained-glass artistry.

Among them was Aymeric Albert, who scoured forests across France to select the oak trees needed to rebuild Notre Dame’s iconic spire, nave, and choir. He was awarded the Knight of the Legion of Honour.

The massive restoration was made possible through an outpouring of global support, with nearly €850 million (approximately $960 million) in donations collected from individuals, institutions, and philanthropists around the world.

Notre Dame Cathedral officially reopened to the public on December 7, 2024. According to the French presidency, the site now welcomes an average of 30,000 visitors daily — a testament to the enduring legacy of the cathedral and the extraordinary efforts behind its resurrection.