Fury as President Macron reveals the new ‘contemporary gesture’ for cathedral devastated by 2019 fire

In the wake of the April 2019 fire that devastated Notre Dame, the French president Emmanuel Macron promised that the monument would be rebuilt with a “contemporary gesture”.

There followed all manner of madcap ideas: a glass spire; a 300ft ­carbon-fibre flame; a swimming pool on the roof; a covered garden. In the end, Notre Dame was restored to its original former glory and ceremonially reopened this month. Now, however, the planned “contemporary gesture” has been revealed – and has sparked a bitter row.