Notre-Dame reopening backed by $62m from American donors

References to Notre-Dame run deep through American culture, from the first black-and-white films to recent animations. © Olivier Arandel / LP

Americans have shown their "great affection" for Paris's Notre-Dame cathedral by contributing $62 million (€58 million) to its restoration following the devastating fire in 2019, according to the organisation Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris. The beloved monument is due to reopen with a series of events on 7 and 8 December.

"After the French, the Americans have been the biggest donors by far," Michel Picaud, president of the Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris, told French news agency AFP, ahead of the cathedral's reopening next week.