Historic French Cathedral Up In Flames
A large fire broke out on Monday evening at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame, one of the most famous landmarks in Paris, drawing about 13 million visitors a year. The name Notre-Dame means Our Lady in French and is the seat of the archbishop of Paris.
The cathedral, where Mass is still offered on Sundays, was undergoing extensive renovation. The renovation was estimated to cost $180 million. The exact cause of the blaze was not known, but French media quoted the Paris fire brigade as saying the fire is “potentially linked” to the renovation project. Paris prosecutors ruled out arson and possible terror-related motives, and are treating it as an accident.
The fire spread, collapsing one of the landmark’s rectangular towers and the cathedral’s spire. The Paris fire chief, Jean-Claude Gallet, says that firefighters managed to stop the fire from spreading to the northern belfry and that they were able to save the church’s infrastructure.
The 12th-century cathedral was immortalized by Victor Hugo’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” 1831 novel and is a world-famous tourist attraction, housing numerous works of art.
The cathedral was built on a small island called the Île de la Cité, in the middle of the Seine. Construction began during the reign of King Louis VII in 1163 and was completed in 1345. To this day it is still considered a jewel of medieval Gothic architecture.
By: Maytinee Kramer
