Paris - Fire at Notre Dame Cathedral, Apr 2019

[flute4peace]

Window survived:

Notre-Dame de Paris: the stained glass windows of the rosettes intact, the organ spared by the flames

Notre-Dame de Paris: les vitraux des rosaces intacts, l'orgue épargné par les flammes

Oh. My. Word.

*goosebumps*

 

[flute4peace]

According to architectural historians, the cathedral's medieval stone vaults — which served as a buffer for the fire after it burned through the wooden roof — had a hand in this.
Dr Robert Bork, an architectural historian at the University of Iowa, told the ABC the cathedral boasts some of the earliest six-part vaults used in the 12th century.
Innovation and exploration in the Middle Ages resulted in the creation of wider vaults that would better allow for elaborate windows than previous Romanesque churches, he explained.
"When the spire crashed through [the cathedral], that was a problem obviously and in some places the fire got through, but most of the vaults seem to have survived, which is a testament to how well they were put together in the 12th century."
The general principle of a vault, Dr Bork explained, is the same as that behind an arch, which sees lots of stones that are relatively small work to span a large space.
"So, in Notre Dame, [these stones] cross the span which is about 14 metres across on the inside, and they're all essentially wedged together so that when gravity pulls down on each of those little stones, [the structure] is held into place by the friction of its neighbours in a kind of wedging action."
How a medieval design trick helped save Notre Dame from perishing completely

This is fascinating, thank you for sharing!

 

[musicaljoke]

Amazing photo taken just before the fire has gone viral.

Twitter
I took this photo as we were leaving #NotreDame about an hour before it caught on fire. I almost went up to the dad and asked if he wanted it. Now I wish I had. Twitter if you have any magic, help him find this

Oh, that brings tears to my eyes! Such a moment of pure joy.

I hope that in the coming days, we can restore hope for the future of this magnificent ediface. And may it be the very best work that humanity can create, even if it takes 200 years to complete. May there be pure joy celebrated on the steps of Notre Dame once again.

 

[musicaljoke]

Window survived:

Notre-Dame de Paris: the stained glass windows of the rosettes intact, the organ spared by the flames

Notre-Dame de Paris: les vitraux des rosaces intacts, l'orgue épargné par les flammes

Oooh! Thank God for these mercies!! The organ was spared! How could that be when all looked so grim?

Tears of thanks!

 

[musicaljoke]

Merci aux @PompiersParis, aux policiers et aux agents municipaux qui ont réalisé ce soir une formidable chaîne humaine pour sauver les œuvres de #NotreDame. La couronne d'épines, la tunique de Saint Louis et plusieurs autres œuvres majeures sont à présent en lieu sûr.

Anne Hidalgo on Twitter

English: Thanks to the @PompiersParis, the police and the municipal agents who formed a formidable human chain tonight to save the [art] works of #OurLady. The crown of thorns, the tunic of Saint Louis and several other important pieces are now in a safe place.

It's amazing that they were able to save the artworks so quickly and efficiently. I wonder if they had a practiced fire drill in place. I can just imagine the horror of discovering that no one had the right screw driver.

The artworks have been taken to the Louvre.

 

[CoverMeCagney]

I can just imagine the horror of discovering that no one had the right screw driver.

This has given me the giggles!!

Great news that so much has been saved. Do we know if all 3 rose windows are intact?

 

[gregjrichards]

The billionaire owner of Louis Vuitton Moët Henesey Bernard Aranult has just pledged €200 million to rebuild Norte Dame. That’s €300 million raised now which is amazing.

 

[they'll get you]

The billionaire owner of Louis Vuitton Moët Henesey Bernard Aranult has just pledged €200 million to rebuild Norte Dame. That’s €300 million raised now which is amazing.

Australian news said the church had been under renovation for the past 3 years and they had been begging for donations to continue. Allegedly the Vatican hand not given a dime.

Wouldn’t the renovating company had insurance against such accidents and also would the church have been insured against fire?

 

[?mysterian?]

There will probably be smoke and water damage that hasn't been discovered yet.

 

[flute4peace]

There will probably be smoke and water damage that hasn't been discovered yet.

For sure.

 

[gregjrichards]

Australian news said the church had been under renovation for the past 3 years and they had been begging for donations to continue. Allegedly the Vatican hand not given a dime.

Wouldn’t the renovating company had insurance against such accidents and also would the church have been insured against fire?

I don’t know if an insurance company would cover a priceless building like Notre Dame I dread to think what the premium would be. The insurance would be astronomical.

 

[Cryptic]

Allegedly the Vatican hand not given a dime.

Every historically Catholic country in the world- including the Vatican has historically important Cathedrals that are in need of expensive maintenance and / or costly restorations. I don't know what the maintenance bill on Saint Peter's in Rome is, but I can imagine it is high.

A good many of these Cathedrals are in countries that are not nearly as wealthy as France and thus have no where near the potential French donor pool.

In short, the funding crisis facing the past restoration of Notre Dame may seem like a priority when looking at Notre Dame as an individual case, but is probably less of a priority in a world full of Notre Dames.

 

[pandamonium]

AMAZING: The Cross Still Stands at Notre Dame Cathedral

 

[Inthedetails]

Australian news said the church had been under renovation for the past 3 years and they had been begging for donations to continue. Allegedly the Vatican hand not given a dime.

Snipped and BBM.

Perhaps the Vatican remembers the Protestant Reformation - wasn't using money on cathedrals was a trigger?

I'm beyond thrilled that the cathedral was spared as much as it was (I am not Catholic). I'm also thrilled there is interest and money to repair what was damaged.

The world shared a common emotional experience yesterday, and, well, the world needed that. May the process of rebuilding the grand place be fulfilling to those who participate and those of us who watch.

jmo

 

[Trudie]

Window survived:

Notre-Dame de Paris: the stained glass windows of the rosettes intact, the organ spared by the flames

Notre-Dame de Paris: les vitraux des rosaces intacts, l'orgue épargné par les flammes

Good news! Any surviving items is miraculous.

 

[scandinavian girl]

Window survived:

Notre-Dame de Paris: the stained glass windows of the rosettes intact, the organ spared by the flames

Notre-Dame de Paris: les vitraux des rosaces intacts, l'orgue épargné par les flammes

I am in awe, I thought for sure the windows would have exploded, what a masterpiece of craftmanship

 

[coffeeandacig]

My sister said when she visited Notre Dame a couple of years ago, "It's as if, you weren't just there with other people, but actually walking among spirits of people past. The veil between the two was so thin."
In these times, there are far too few places where you can experience anything like it. And I hope, whatever comes in the future for Notre Dame, the spirits will still be there.

 

[PommyMommy]

Notre-Dame Found Structurally Sound After Fire, as Investigation Begins
[...]

“Nothing at this stage suggests a voluntary act,” he said.

The nearly 50 investigators assigned to the case were focusing on interviewing workmen who had left the site but had been engaged in the restoration of the cathedral not long before the fire broke out.

The first fire alarm on Monday was triggered at 6:20 p.m., and checks were carried out but no fire was found, Mr. Heitz said. A second alarm went off at 6:43 p.m., he said, and fire was discovered in the wooden framework of the attic.

[...]

“At the cathedral, we have fire monitors,” the cathedral’s rector, Msgr. Patrick Chauvet, said Tuesday on France Inter, a radio station. “Three times a day they go up, under the wooden roof, to make an assessment.”

He said that there was also an on-site fireman at the cathedral, although he did not say how often, where that person was normally stationed, or whether that person was present yesterday.

[...]

[...]

Mr. Bern said the contractor for the building’s scaffolding — where the fire might have originated — was “serious,” and that safety regulations are “codified,” but “it all depends on human beings.”

 

[PommyMommy]

What we know so far about the Notre Dame fire - CNN

• At 6:20 p.m on Monday, the first call to emergency services came in, but no fire was visible at that time, Paris prosecutor Rémy Heitz said. The first call mentioned a fire in the attic, according to the fire brigade.
• 20 minutes later, a second alert was called in, and the fire was visible at that point, the prosecutor said.
• Around 400 firefighters were deployed to the scene but were delayed slightly by rush hour traffic.
• It is unclear how the fire, which spread very quickly across the roof and over a section of around 1,000 square meters (10,763 square feet), began.
• Shortly before 8 p.m. local time, the cathedral's famed spire burned to a blackened shell before finally toppling, as thousands of Parisians who had gathered in the streets watched in horror.
• By around 11 p.m., President Emmanuel Macron announced: "The worst has been avoided. The façade and the two main towers did not collapse."
• By early Tuesday morning, the fire was under control, and the fire brigade announced that the fire had been extinguished nine hours after it started.
• The fire was an accident, according to Valérie Pécresse, the president of the Île-de-France region in which Paris is located. An investigation has been opened.
• While the main structure has been saved, firefighters were unable to save the central spire, which had been added during a restoration project in the 19th century.
• The majority of the 13th-century oak roof, called "the forest" because it required a forest of trees to build it, was also largely destroyed.
• No one was killed in the fire. Two policemen and a firefighter were slightly injured, according Paris Fire Brigade.
• The cathedral's iconic bell towers -- immortalized in Victor Hugo's tale "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" -- survived, along with the cathedral's elaborate stonework facade.
• The Crown of Thorns, believed to be a relic of the passion of Christ, and the Tunic of Saint Louis are among the invaluable artifacts that were saved.
• The church's irreplaceable rose windows and organ are in good condition, a city official said Tuesday.
• Other major art pieces from the Notre Dame were also saved, thanks to the fire services and police, and were now in a safe place, Paris' mayor said.
• Firefighters will work to ensure there is no further risk of fire and that the structure is stable. Experts will assess the stability of the building and "safeguard" the towers and relics, the fire brigade said.
• The Paris prosecutor has opened an investigation. "Nothing suggests that it was an intentional act," Rémy Heitz told reporters outside the Gothic cathedral Tuesday, adding that workers employed at the site were being questioned over the blaze.
• Macron has pledged to rebuild the cathedral and said he would launch an international fundraising campaign to help finance those efforts.
• Donors have already pledged hundreds of millions. The Île-de-France region will unlock an emergency fund of €10 million ($11.3 million), and Paris City Hall said it would give €50 million ($56.45 million) towards rebuilding efforts.

 

[musicaljoke]

Editorial Cartoon: Paris Fire at Notre Dame