According to experts, the restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral might take years and cost up to $1 billion. Pledges for repair efforts have now topped 700 million euros (about $790 million).
Notre Dame was built over a period of more than a century by several different architects, most notably Pierre Lescot and Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. The current structure was built between 1163 and 1250. It is one of the largest Gothic buildings in Europe.
The cathedral has been called the "garden" of Paris because of its large scale and many sculptures. It also contains some of the best-preserved medieval stained glass in France.
In 987, the first version of the cathedral as we know it today was completed after only twenty-two months of construction. However, this first version was not considered safe enough for worship so the nave was rebuilt over the next few decades by various architects. In total, there have been nineteen renovations to the cathedral.
In 1556, during the French Wars of Religion, the cathedral was nearly destroyed when Catholic troops fired upon Protestants attending Mass at Notre Dame de Paris. Only the thick stone walls of the church withstood the attack.
Donations towards the restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral have surpassed EUR1 billion (PS865 million).
A fire broke out at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on April 15, 2019, causing the roof and spire to fall. In the days that followed, French billionaires, affluent families, and companies hurried to offer their funds to repair the monument, raising 850 million euros (about $954 million at the time). The reconstruction is expected to take at least 10 years to complete.
The fire started in the cathedral's sacristy but quickly spread to the rest of the building. It was put out by firefighters within an hour, but they were unable to save the central part of the roof or the spire, which collapsed during the blaze.
Notre Dame has been described as the most-visited religious site in the world. At its peak, around 5 million people visited the cathedral each year. However, this number has decreased since the fire due to concerns over safety measures following the incident.
When the fire broke out, many people assumed that it must have been intentionally set, given that it took place during Holy Week when churches are full of candles and other flammable materials. No one has yet come forward with a claim of responsibility for the fire, but right-wing groups have been blamed for previous damage to parts of the church. These groups often target Catholic institutions in France with protests and attacks if they feel that the priests or nuns are doing too much "Christianizing" of France.
PARIS – Following months of delay that left officials largely reliant on small charity donations to fund the first phase of repairs, French billionaire Francois Pinault and his son Francois-Henri Pinault have officially signed documents allocating 100 million euros ($109 million) toward rebuilding Notre Dame Cathedral.
The elder Pinault is one of France's richest people with an estimated net worth of $4.9 billion, while his son is ranked 117th on Forbes' list of the world's most powerful people.
The money will be put into two funds, one for restoration work and another for educational programs about the cathedral's history. The funds will be managed by the French government agency in charge of cultural property, the Ministry of Culture.
Pinault said in a statement that he is honored by the offer to help restore Notre Dame and added that "this national monument must be preserved for future generations."
The younger Pinault told Le Monde newspaper that they are confident they can raise the rest of the money needed to complete the project. He said they plan to use events like music festivals as well as other fundraising initiatives to reach this goal.
Notre Dame was built between 1163 and 1250 after request from King Louis VII who wanted a place where priests could hear Mass in English before they went back home to England.
The cathedral's construction began in 1163 under Bishop Maurice de Sully and was nearly finished by 1260, though it was constantly renovated throughout the next decades. During the French Revolution in the 1790s, Notre-Dame was desecrated, and much of its religious iconography was damaged or destroyed. The future of the building was uncertain until the discovery of a set of drawings in 1838 that are thought to have been made by the famous artist Michelangelo.
You may have seen photos online of the cathedral before it became a landmark. Those images were taken in 1670 by Louis XIV's architect Le Vau after he rebuilt the cathedral following a fire. The original structure was completely burned down again less than 50 years later during the French Revolution.
In conclusion, no one knows who built Notre Dame but there is evidence that points toward the beginning of Christianity in France when a bishop named Maurice de Sully started work on the site around 1163. After his death in 1180, responsibility for the project was passed down to his successor, who continued building until about 1260. The cathedral was then abandoned for 200 years until it was restored back to its current state in 1670 by King Louis XIV's architect Le Vau. This article should help you understand more about the history of Notre Dame Cathedral.
Most people are unaware that the present refurbishment is simply one of many rebuilds and reconstructions that Notre Dame has undergone since its rebirth. Over the years, Notre Dame has been renovated and reconfigured eleven times. The current restoration began in 2009 and is expected to be completed by 2016.
The current restoration project was commissioned by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and is being carried out by British architect John McAslan. It aims to return the cathedral to its original glory by using modern techniques and materials where necessary, but also retaining important features of the building. The project will cost about $150 million and is being funded by private donations as well as government funds.
Notre Dame has been destroyed several times due to wars, natural disasters, and vandalism. The most devastating attack on the cathedral occurred during the French Revolution when it was completely burned down by the revolutionaries as an act of war propaganda. Only the tower survived this attack.
After the fire, the future of the cathedral was uncertain until Napoleon's brother Louis Bonaparte announced his intention to have a new cathedral built on the same site. The first phase of the new cathedral was opened for mass in 1804. Today this is known as the North Transept.
In 1844 the second phase was opened, which is today known as the South Transept.
Parisians openly sobbed in the streets. In the 72 hours following the fire, a slew of wealthy French magnates rushed to promise a total of 850 million euros (about $954 million at the time) to rebuild the cathedral. The amount was later increased to 1 billion euros.
Notre Dame has been the symbol of France since its completion in 1345. The country's leaders have vowed to restore the cathedral to its original glory.
The fire broke out around 20:00 on Monday night local time (23:00 GMT on Sunday) in the central tower of the cathedral. It was quickly controlled but some parts of the building were too damaged to be restored immediately. The cause of the fire is still unknown.
The fire caused no casualties, but it destroyed many centuries-old books and documents from the cathedral's library that were stored there prior to the fire.
In addition to money, French President Emmanuel Macron called other European leaders to discuss restoring the cathedral as part of UNESCO's World Heritage site. Leaders from Germany, Italy, and Spain have also offered help with funding restoration efforts or rebuilding the cathedral entirely.
Macron has said he will present a plan to rebuild or renovate the cathedral by 2019.
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