Notre-Dame construction site, exactly one year before re-opening date

Workers at Paris's emblematic Notre-Dame cathedral have one year, starting on Friday, to finish restoring the gothic monument in time for its reopening following a monstrous fire in 2019.

Restoration of the UNESCO-listed building, which usually welcomes some 12 million visitors each year, has hit several snags since people around the world watched in horror as its steeple crashed down in the blaze on April 15, 2019.But its new spire has started to emerge against the French capital's skyline, and is expected to be fully completed when the city hosts the Olympic Games this summer.

And, hundreds of workers are racing against the clock to restore the rest of the cathedral in time for it to reopen its doors to the public on December 8, 2024.