Why Are Medieval Cathedrals Still Standing?
Secrets to surviving centuries
April 15, 2019. A devastating fire broke out at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France. The fire started in the cathedral’s attic and quickly spread through the building, engulfing the roof and causing the collapse of the cathedral’s spire.
I watched my TV in horror, live on the Breaking News, as the fire burned for several hours and caused significant damage to the building, including the destruction of the roof and the collapse of part of the vault. People in Paris sang haunting songs on the streets as they watched the flames lick the sky. I sobbed as if witnessing a death.
Back in the summer of 2004, during my first trip to Europe at the age of 18, I had one of the most powerful experiences of my life sitting in the pews of Notre Dame, staring up at the massive, delicately carved pillars that soared above. (Interestingly enough, my meditations confirmed my atheism. Mankind had dreamed up this wonder, not God.)
How could this be happening? I thought. Notre Dame had stood so long. The cathedral was built in the 12th and 13th centuries as an example of French Gothic architecture. It was built on the site of an earlier Roman temple and later a Carolingian cathedral, and was consecrated in 1345.
