Notre Dame Fire

On April 15, the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral caught on fire. Through the firefighter’s valiant efforts, the fire was finally extinguished nine hours after the alarm went off. Luckily, the two towers remain relatively untouched and most artifacts were removed safely. The famous pipe organ and bell towers escaped unscathed. However, the spire of Notre Dame has completely collapsed and the roof, as well as the rib vaulting, were damaged.

So why is Notre Dame such an important cathedral?

The Notre-Dame de Paris, which translates to “Our Lady of Paris,” is considered one of the most beautiful examples of French Gothic architecture. The sheer size of the cathedral is also impressive for its time, and can hold up to six thousand worshipers. Notre Dame is also the home of an eight-thousand-pipe organ, which is one of the largest in the world.

The cathedral draws over thirteen million visitors per year, which is more than even the Eiffel Tower! It is also the subject of many books, including The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo.

In the aftermath of this disaster, investigators are looking into potential causes of the conflagration. It is suspected that ongoing renovations from before the incident may be at fault, and it is possible that the cathedral’s fire alarms are defective.

Now that the fire is out and damages have been assessed, it is estimated that the restoration of Notre Dame will cost over a billion dollars. Hundreds of millions of dollars have already been donated over this last week by generous companies and families. Even the White House has pledged assistance.

The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, plans to restore Notre Dame within five years, but experts believe that the process will take much longer. Due to the expensive damage and intricate architecture of the cathedral, investigators have been unable to test the stability of the structure, which may lead to serious issues down the road.

The Prime Minister of France, Édouard Philippe, has announced an international competition for the design of the spire after its collapse. The redesigning of the Notre Dame spire is currently a controversial topic in France. While some believe that the original design should be kept for historical purposes, others see this tragedy as an opportunity to add more modern touches to the ancient cathedral.

Some note that the cathedral wasn’t completely original anyways, as the spire was added much later after the original completion of Notre Dame. Instead of attempting to match the design and materials of the cathedral from before the fire, it might be more prudent to focus on safety instead.

Whatever happens, the world will be watching as France rebuilds their national icon.