CNN
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Paris’ iconic Moulin Rouge windmill has been fitted with new blades, nearly three months after they fell off the landmark.
According to CNN affiliate BFMTV, around 500 spectators watched the inauguration of the blades on Friday evening, welcoming the installation with thunderous applause.
Jean-Victor Clerico, General Manager of Moulin Rouge Paris, said that the aim was to reinstall the blades before July 15, when the Olympic flame passes the venue on its way to the opening of the Summer Games.
About 20 can-can dancers performed to celebrate the installation, BFMTV reported, adding that, right now, the windmill’s blades do not turn, as mechanical works couldn’t be completed before the inauguration date.
Olumpia de Maismont/AFP/Getty Images
The new blades were lifted onto the windmill by crane.
It is unclear why the windmill’s sails fell off the iconic dancehall back in April.
Then, the venue said that it had ruled out any “malicious act” and Paris’ fire department told BFMTV that nobody had been injured.
Shows continued while the blades were missing.
Located in Paris’ Montmartre district and established in 1889, the Moulin Rouge is one of the world’s most famous cabaret clubs.
The prominent red windmill has been a staple of the venue since its beginnings, although the original structure burned down in 1915. The current windmill was built in the 1920s.
Over the years, the venue has endured fires and undergone renovations to maintain its grandeur, according to the Moulin Rouge website.
The unveiling of the new Moulin Rouge windmill comes as another iconic Parisian venue closes.
Chez Michou, a Parisian drag cabaret club that has hosted singers such as Liza Minnelli and Serge Gainsbourg, staged its last performance on Sunday evening, closing its doors due to financial struggles.
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