Keeping the faith
SHAKEN FRANCE, BIG DONORS VOW TO RESTORE NOTRE DAME AFTER DEVASTATING FIRE
Scorched, smoldering but still standing, Notre Dame Cathedral will be restored to its former glory “within five years,” France’s president vowed Tuesday.
Emmanuel Macron said the medieval masterpiece will be “even more beautiful” in the era after a roaring fire ravaged the cathedral’s roof, toppled its soaring spire and left three gaping holes in the ribs of its vaulted ceiling.
“During our history, we have built cities, ports and churches. Many have been destroyed by wars, revolutions, the faults of men — and each time we rebuilt them,” Macron told his country.
“The fire of Notre Dame reminds us that our story never stops, never, and that we will always have challenges to overcome.”
Macron’s soothing message came as Paris prosecutor Remy Heitz said investigators found no evidence of arson, but that a “long and complex” probe had only just begun.
“Nothing at this stage suggests a voluntary act,” he said.
He said 50 investigators would question workers from five companies that had been hired for the multimilliondollar renovation of the cathedral’s roof and spire, where the fire first sparked Monday evening.
Officials said an initial alarm went off at 6:20 p.m. Monday but no fire was found. A second alarm sounded at 6:43 p.m., and that’s when the blaze was discovered on the roof.
The commander of the Paris Fire Brigade feared at one point late Monday the church’s twin bell towers might topple, but most of the cathedral appeared structurally sound after an inspection Tuesday, with officials reporting some areas of “weakness” in the northern transept.
The cathedral’s most famous treasure, the Crown of Thorns, was among the religious relics quickly rescued when the fire started, Deputy Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire confirmed.
The crown, along with the tunic of St. Louis, a garment from the 13th century, were “safe” in Paris City Hall, Culture Minister Franck Riester said.
The cathedral’s famous 18th century organ also survived, though possibly with some damage.
“The organ is a very fragile instrument, especially its pipes. It has not burnt, but no one can tell whether it has been damaged by water. Nobody knows if it is in a functioning state or will need to be restored,” said Bertrand de Feydeau, vice president of preservation group Fondation du Patrimoine.
Riester said Notre Dame’s priceless paintings would be removed starting Friday and appeared to be mostly unharmed, though some smoke and water damage was likely.
The copper statues of the 12 disciples that overlooked Paris from around the cathedral’s spire were thankfully removed by cranes just days earlier as part of the $6.8 million renovation project.
The one prominent work with confirmed damage was the cathedral’s high altar, installed in 1989.
“We have been able to salvage all the rest,” said Laurent Prades, heritage director for Notre Dame. “All the 18th century steles, the pietas, frescoes, chapels and the big organ are fine.”
The three massive stainedglass rose windows placed high on the cathedral’s northern, southern and western walls were not destroyed but might have been damaged by the heat, officials said.
But the ancient wood beams that framed the structure and held its colossal roof in place before they went up in smoke are expected to present one of the biggest challenges.
“We don’t, at the moment, have trees in our territory of the size that were cut in the 13th century,” de Feydeau said, noting this will make it impossible to make the roof exactly as it was. The repairs are going to take new technology, he said.
While it remained unclear how much reconstruction will cost, the companies and billionaire families behind
luxury brands L’Oréal, Louis Vuitton and Gucci promised more than $600 million to help rebuild.
One of the biggest donations came from Bernard Arnault’s family, which pledged $226 million along with its LVMH Group, the parent company of Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Sephora and other prestigious brands.
Arnault is the fourth-richest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of $92 billion.
The Pinault family — which controls the company behind Gucci and Balenciaga — pledged $113 million. The company’s CEO, billionaire François-Henri Pinault, is married to actress Salma Hayek.
“The Notre Dame tragedy strikes all French people, as well as all those with spiritual values and those who care about history and culture,” he said in a Facebook post.