Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, France

Fire broke out at Notre Dame Cathedral on the 15th of April, 2019, in the early evening.  It's one of those times where we remember where we were and for me I was in Norfolk, taking pictures of another Cathedral.  For anyone interested in history, we have followed the events of the fire and hoped that the damage would be able to be repaired.  We have felt the horror of watching the spire fall but we have all had some good news in that the building can be saved and restored.  

Sometimes it is only when we are afraid of losing something that we realise its importance.  These buildings are precious, they will not continue to exist without being looked after and in this case one of the most important buildings in the world had been neglected for years.  While work was being done when the fire occurred, it will now be able to be fully restored with the funds promised.  It should not take a tragedy for people to do something.  Old buildings need constant support and care, they are fragile but they are part of us all and deserve to be preserved, not only after a disaster but constantly.  

Notre Dame Cathedral, is perhaps the most famous Cathedral in the world, it is certainly the most historic and iconic in France.  It is in fact the birthplace of Paris itself and lies at its very heart.  On the 15th of April 2019, it was very nearly lost completely when a fire engulfed it, destroying its medieval roof and 19th century spire.

Having survived for 800 years, after the reformists destroyed much of the medieval glass in the 16th century, the modernizations in the 17th century, the French Revolution in the 18th century and the restorations of the 19th century, I’m sure it will one day also rise out of the ashes in the 21st century.  We are certainly very lucky that the damage was not worse.

Notre Dame is one of the first Gothic Cathedrals ever built, lying on an island in the middle of the River Seine, it is the heart of Paris itself. 

In 1163 the building of the Cathedral started, it would replace an older church on the site.  Construction took nearly 200 years. 

It was one of the first Cathedrals to use flying buttresses to help support the weight of the walls.  Notre Dame was built higher and wider than previous Cathedrals had been and stress fractures began to appear within its first 100 years, so the flying buttresses were incorporated on the exterior of the building. 

There had been a church on this site since possibly as early as the 4th century.  The location was already known to be special when building work started as Pope Alexander III is said to have been present at its ground breaking.

Henry the VI of England was also crowned the King of France at Notre Dame Cathedral in 1431, when he was just 10 years old.  Napoléon was also crowned Emperor here in 1804.

The wooden spire was added in the mid-19th century.  It was badly in need of repair due to weathering. The copper statues that surrounded the spire had been removed for restoration just days before the fire, where the spire collapsed and was destroyed, falling through the roof. 

Many medieval cathedrals contain stone vaulting but this means the wooden roof is above this vaulting.  In Notre Dame this was the case and it is due to this design that so much of the interior remains after the fire.  The stone vaulting held in many places and protected the building, however the collapse of the spire did penetrate the vaulting in places.

Notre Dame’s two towers were the tallest building in Paris before the Eiffel Tower was constructed. They are sixty nine meters high, and the stairway has 387 steps. There are 10 bells in the cathedral these are all located in the South tower.