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By Thomas Adamson and Sylvie Corbet

The Associated Press

PARIS 鈥� French President Emmanuel Macron recently visited 鈥� exactly one year before it鈥檚 scheduled to reopen.

Since a blaze聽burned through the roof and spire聽on April 15, 2019, Macron鈥檚 visits have become a tradition, with Dec. 8 marking his sixth to highlight the restoration鈥檚 progress. Huge oak beams have been hoisted skyward so the cathedral can be reroofed.

The French leader went up the spire,聽which was reconstructed from its previous design聽by famed 19th-century French architect Eug猫ne Viollet-le-Duc. It stands at 315 feet and was crowned with a cross earlier in the week. It is soon to be topped by a rooster,聽restoring an emotional symbol聽for the French of their heritage. The rooster was first used as a symbol of hope and faith in the Middle Ages, gaining its association with the French nation during the Renaissance.

鈥淪ince April 2019, the entire nation has been rebuilding,鈥� Macron told reporters. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 very moving to be here a year before. You can see the extraordinary progress of the work on this nave, the choir and the frames and the spire.鈥�

The schedule calls for completion of the penultimate restoration phase by the end of the year, with the cathedral鈥檚 much-anticipated reopening set for Dec. 8, 2024.

During his visit, Macron paid homage to Gen. Jean-Louis Georgelin, who oversaw the reconstruction and died in August. Wearing a hardhat, Macron was given a tool to assist as Georgelin鈥檚 name was inscribed in the wood of the spire under the aegis of an artisan, memorializing the general鈥檚 contribution to the cathedral.

Macron鈥檚 visit underscored a personal attachment to the architectural jewel, a symbol of the country鈥檚 rich cultural, literary, and religious history.

An evocative scene also unfolded as Macron, accompanied by his wife, Brigitte, observed the restoration works. The French first lady stood attentively before excavations by France鈥檚 National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research where archaeologists uncovered a 13th-century skeleton, adding a layer of historical depth to the restoration efforts.

To聽prevent lead contamination, all workers and visitors 鈥� including the presidential party 鈥� wore protective suits, adhering to the meticulous safety precautions in place.

Macron also surveyed improvements in the cathedral鈥檚 nave and choir and discussed future projects. including a new museum and contemporary stained-glass windows.

He announced a contest for artists to design six new stained-glass windows for some chapels of the cathedral to memorialize post-fire restoration.

The former stained-glass windows, from the Viollet-le-Duc period, will be showcased in a new Notre Dame museum nearby. The former cathedral-capping rooster, which survived the fire but was deformed by high heat and a long fall, will also be on display at the museum.