Priceless treasures frantically rescued
French president vows Notre Dame to be rebuilt within 5 years
PARIS — The inferno that raged through Notre Dame Cathedral for more than 12 hours destroyed its spire and its roof but spared its twin medieval bell towers, and a frantic rescue effort saved the monument’s “most precious treasures,” including the relic revered as Jesus’ Crown of Thorns, officials said Tuesday.
French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to rebuild the beloved Roman Catholic architectural landmark, and wanted to see it completed within five years.
“We have so much to rebuild,” Macron said in a televised address to the nation. “We will rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral even more beautifully. We can do it, and once again, we will mobilize (to do so).”
Authorities consider the fire an accident, possibly as a result of restoration work at the global architectural treasure that survived almost 900 years of tumultuous French history but was devastated
in the blaze on the second day of Holy Week.
Paris prosecutor Remy Heitz said the inquiry into the fire would be “long and complex.” Fifty investigators were working on it and would interview workers from five companies hired for the renovations to the cathedral’s roof, where the flames first broke out.
Heitz said an initial fire alert was sounded at 6:20 p.m. Monday but no fire was found. The second alert was sounded at 6:43 p.m., and the blaze was discovered on the roof.
Investigators have questioned nearly 30 people, said a Paris judicial police official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“Notre Dame has survived the revolutionary history of France, and this happened during building works,” said influential former Culture Minister Jack Lang.
News that the fire was probably accidental has done nothing to ease the national mourning for the symbol of national pride. Hundreds of people gathered for a prayer vigil across the Seine from the cathedral, singing and listening to music by a string quartet.
Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said there were still some risks to the structure and that it was “under permanent surveillance because it can still budge.”
A plan to safeguard the masterpieces and relics was quickly put into action after the fire broke out.
The Crown of Thorns, regarded as Notre Dame’s most sacred relic, was among the treasures quickly transported after the fire broke out, said Deputy Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire. Brought to Paris by King Louis IX in the 13th century, it is purported to have been pressed onto Christ’s head during the crucifixion. Also saved was the tunic of St. Louis, a long, shirt-like garment from the 13th century, said Culture Minister Franck Riester.
The cathedral’s famous 18th-century organ that boasts more than 8,000 pipes also survived.
“The works of art, the most precious treasures were secured last night,” Riester told reporters.
Some of the works were being transferred from City Hall to the Louvre, where they will be dehumidified, protected and restored. The minister said the cathedral’s greatest paintings would be removed starting Friday. “We assume they have not been damaged by the fire but there will eventually be damage from the smoke,” he added.
The nearly 10-foot-tall copper statues that looked over Paris from Notre Dame’s 115-foot peak already had been removed from the roof days ago and sent to southwestern France as part of a $6.8 million renovation on the spire and its 250 tons of lead.
Much was saved in the interior too. The only major work damaged inside was the cathedral’s high altar, installed in 1989 under Cardinal Jean Marie Lustiger. It was hit when the spire collapsed, said Laurent Prades, heritage director for Notre Dame.
“We have been able to salvage all the rest,” said Prades, who watched the recovery overnight. “All the 18th-century steles, the pietas, frescoes, chapels and the big organ are fine.”
The three large stainedglass rose windows, among the most famous parts of the cathedral, were not destroyed, but might have been damaged by the heat and will be assessed by an expert, he added.
“The task is — now the risk of fire has been put aside — about the building, how the structure will resist,” said Junior Interior Minister Laurent Nunez.
UNESCO DirectorGeneral Audrey Azoulay said work must begin immediately to protect the remaining structure.
The first 24-48 hours were crucial to protecting the stone and wood structure from water damage and assessing the next steps, she told The Associated Press, warning that parts of the cathedral remain “extremely fragile,” notably hundreds of tons of scaffolding around the spire that collapsed. Notre Dame is part of a UNESCO heritage site and UNESCO has offered its expertise.
Pope Francis offered his prayers that Notre Dame, the “architectural gem of a collective memory,” will once again be a shrine to the Catholic faith, a symbol of the French nation and a spiritual and architectural gift to humanity.
Offers of assistance flowed in from around the world to help restore the 12th-century tourist attraction to its former glory. Poland, the Czech Republic and Greece were among those offering to send experts from their own restoration projects, while major French businesses pledged financial assistance.
“The task is — now the risk of fire has been put aside — about the building, how the structure will resist.” Laurent Nunez, Junior Interior Minister