Notre Dame Cathedral

Notre Dame Cathedral - Six months after the April 15 fire that tore through the roof of the 13th-century Notre Dame de Paris cathedral the reconstruction process has according to reports, been much more complex than anticipated.

One day after the blaze President Emmanuel Macron addressed a nation in shock at the damage to one of its great cultural landmarks, with a promise that "it would be rebuilt even more beautifully and finished within five years,". While that may turn out to be true, it is a task that will be a lot more difficult than originally believed.

There were concerns whether the funding would ever be realised. France's richest man Bernard Arnault in September signed a formal accord over his pledge of 200 million euros, as did the Pinault family for their promised 100 million euros. A signing on another 100 million promised by the oil giant Total is awaited in October.

But lovers of the historic masterpiece, be they tourists, or worshippers, may have to wait some time before Notre-Dame becomes theirs again.