As Notre Dame de Paris continues to be restored, on track for its late 2024 reopening, the faithful have taken to sharing images of the iconic French cathedral’s bells in anticipation of hearing them ring through France’s capital once more. The image, which was taken years ago, shows nine of their bells arranged in size order, with the largest dwarfing the men in procession.
Many may not know, however, that each bell bears a name and also inscriptions that relate to the monikers. Some of them allude to saints and biblical figures, while others pay homage to influential Catholics of France, but each one is a unique piece of French cultural history that will be replaced in the monument church after cleaning and restoration.