Paris (CNN) – A catastrophic fire engulfed Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Monday, altering the city’s skyline and threatening a potent symbol of Catholicism at the start of Holy Week.
The fire burned for several hours, destroying the 850-year-old cathedral’s iconic spire and roof before firefighters contained the blaze early Tuesday morning.
A pair of bell towers immortalized in Victor Hugo’s tale “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” survived, along with the cathedral’s elaborate stonework facade. Officials said invaluable artifacts were saved, including the Crown of Thorns, believed to be a relic of the passion of Christ.
President Emmanuel Macron lamented the destruction of an awe-inspiring building that embodied the heart of Paris for more than 800 years. But he pledged to rebuild, starting with the launch of an international fundraising campaign.
“Notre Dame is our history, it’s our literature, it’s our imagery. It’s the place where we live our greatest moments, from wars to pandemics to liberations,” he said.
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- Discussion
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What we know about the Notre Dame fire:
– The Paris cathedral's spire and roof have been destroyed
– Its iconic bell towers and stonework facade have survived
– Firefighters have now contained the blaze
– The cause of the fire is unknown
Latest updates: https://t.co/lnDEYDM9fK pic.twitter.com/6cjAfZyYQB— CNN (@CNN) April 16, 2019
Notre Dame’s medieval roof structure, known as "the forest," has been lost to the massive fire, according to the rector of the cathedral.
The frame featured trees cut down between 1160 and 1170, forming one of the oldest parts of the structure.https://t.co/sGKyk2xNGy pic.twitter.com/gL8G3bc4SY
— CNN (@CNN) April 16, 2019
Ave Maria pic.twitter.com/lb6Y5XV05a
— Ignacio Gil (@Inaki_Gil) April 15, 2019
The French Ambassador all but called the president an idiot just now on CNN for this remark https://t.co/Ja60FA9WGW
— Bradley P. Moss (@BradMossEsq) April 15, 2019
Jesus Christ. Like there are people in Paris saying: "Well, we hadn't thought of that, and we were going to take our time, but now that President Trump has weighed in, we'll get busy." https://t.co/Iqifge19Mw
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) April 15, 2019
In other words, the President just recommended the one thing that would make it all worse. Totally on brand. https://t.co/t9fSF4pmGE
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) April 15, 2019
Dread. https://t.co/s7QQTk3EFJ
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) April 15, 2019
Notre Dame is largely intact. The ceiling held up the remains of the burning roof. The French Ministry of Culture reports that the major removable artwork and all the relics/Treasure from the Cathedral were saved and it appears that all but one stained glass window was spared. ♥️ pic.twitter.com/iSiBuyLg5T
— The Red-Headed Libertarian ™️ (@TRHLofficial) April 16, 2019
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