Is Notre Dame destroyed?

Paris, 15 April (Reuters) - President Emmanuel Macron praised the laborious restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris on Thursday, two years after a fire destroyed the cathedral's centuries-old attic and sent its spire plummeting through the vaults below. "We were all astonished," said Stacy Monsauret, a Paris resident. "It's like seeing your friend's house burned down."

The fire on Monday which ravaged the cathedral was an accident that may have been caused by aging wiring in the roof. But it came just months after Hurricane Maria devastated parts of the Caribbean island on which the cathedral is built. It was reported at the time that the storm had also damaged the roof of the cathedral.

Notre-Dame has stood since 1164 near Paris' Place du Palais but it wasn't until 1245 that it was given its current name by King Louis IX. The cathedral has seen its share of tragedy over the years: in 1431, during the Hundred Years War, French soldiers attacked and burned it along with most of Paris; in 1793, the French Revolution led to the destruction of much of France including Notre-Dame; and in 1945, German bombs killed 125 people inside the cathedral when it was used as a hospital following World War II.

After years of renovation work, the cathedral was opened to visitors in October 2016. But it wasn't until this year that it was revealed how much damage had been done by the 2017 fire.

What is happening with Notre Dame?

More than a year after a horrific fire destroyed large portions of Paris' Notre-Dame Cathedral, French President Emmanuel Marcon has confirmed that the church's famous, collapsed spire would be restored precisely as it was. This is a departure for Marcon, who earlier stated that he had envisioned a fresh vision for the reconstructed Notre-Dame. However, he did indicate that the returned spire would not be its original form - rather, it will be taller and with more bells.

Notre-Dame's spire was among the first structures to be used as a bell tower, being built around 1180. The cathedral's spire fell during the French Revolution in 1793. Since then, it has been considered a symbol of France and the Catholic Church together. After the revolution, French Catholics sought to purge symbols of the old regime from public life. The restoration project is expected to take 10 years and will require work from both inside and outside the building.

The fire at Notre-Dame was discovered on April 15, 2019, and quickly spread through the wooden structure. It was eventually determined that the fire was an accident caused by a malfunctioning electric torch. When firefighters arrived on the scene, they found the interior of the cathedral engulfed in flames. Firefighters were able to contain the fire before it spread to the roof, but not before it destroyed much of the cathedral's interior.

What’s left of Notre Dame after the fire?

In the hours following the fire, Macron assured a saddened country that the cathedral, which goes back to the 12th century, would be repaired and reopened to worshipers by 2024, when France would host the Olympic Games. In the aftermath of the fire, however, doubts have been raised about whether this ambitious timeline is realistic.

At the time of writing, only part of the building was salvageable. The reconstruction project is expected to take 300 years.

Macron announced in August 2018 that the rebuilding would not cost more than €150 million ($170 million). However, the estimate was later revised up to between €500 and €600 million ($570 and $670 million).

The fire has caused widespread debate about the role of architecture in modern society and the importance of preserving our cultural heritage.

Did Notre Dame burn down?

PARIS – The Notre Dame church caught fire on April 15, 2019, with frightened Parisians watching as its iconic spire burnt and collapsed to the earth. According to the rector of Notre Dame, the burned-out Paris cathedral and its esplanade might be a construction site for another "15 or 20 years."

The fire broke out around 2:20 am during a ceremony at the top of the 12th century structure celebrating Easter Sunday. The flames quickly spread throughout the roof and into the nave of the church, which is when crowds began streaming in from surrounding streets to watch it burn. By 7:00 am, only the central tower remained standing.

French media reported that there was an explosion at 6:50 am as firefighters tried to fight the blaze from inside the building. However, this has not been confirmed by authorities. It's also not clear how the fire started. Investigators have not publicly commented on any possible causes.

Notre Dame was built between 1163 and 1250. The fire destroyed most of its wooden interior, but it did not harm the stone exterior of the building. The fire affected only about one-tenth of the church's volume and took place almost entirely outside.

After the fire, French President Emmanuel Macron said he was thinking of rebuilding the church after its original design was discovered in a secret archive. "We will rebuild Notre Dame," he wrote on Twitter.

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Patrick Lamm

Patrick Lamm is a professional in the building industry. He has been working for himself for over a decade and loves what he does. He takes pride in the work he does and does his best to make sure each project is done well. He has been on many different types of projects over the years and has learned a lot about different parts of building construction. His favorite part of his job is getting to meet all different types of people and learn more about what they want out of a home or building.