Notre-Dame ...

[Ramengmawiaaa]

Another titbit :

The fire is believed to have started at the roof, which is very old wood. Some construction equipment might have provided the initial spark. Most of the damage to the interiors actually resulted from smoke and water, and not the fire itself. Your ultra religious family members might tell you the cross/crucifix was undamaged but the whole wall looks to be stone and the cross itself was gold so there was little chance of it being destroyed lol. I'm glad though. I love crosses.

 

[messaline]

Most of the damage to the interiors actually resulted from smoke and water, and not the fire itself.

Yes ! The firemen themselves say that it's often the water which is mainly spoiling a burning building ! But it's not a reason to let the fire doing ... of course !

 

[Gibbs505]

My prayers to the people of France. So sad to see a magnificent icon undergo such trauma.
I am sure that the people will see it rise from the ashes!

 

[zfx]

Merci à tous, je n'ai pas d'autres mots
Nous la reconstruirons
Merci, merci

 

[tiwongp2014]

Beautiful!

 

[shredword]

I was last there two years ago to the day. I was in tears this morning watching it. The heart of the most beautiful city in flames burning my soul with it.

 

[phlebas]

Merci à tous, je n'ai pas d'autres mots
Nous la reconstruirons
Merci, merci
View attachment 695931

How we remember it, and hopefully how it will be once again. Like a ship in full sail on the river.

Awful awful awful. I woke to this tragedy today, watched the flames on live TV while having my breakfast.

We plan to be in Paris in September this year. I was there a year ago, went to an evening mass with the works, organ, choir, Cardinal, the lot. I've been visiting this church on and off for 30 years, it is a personal blow to me, heaven knows how the Parisians and French people in general must feel.

Your ultra religious family members might tell you the cross/crucifix was undamaged but the whole wall looks to be stone and the cross itself was gold so there was little chance of it being destroyed lol. I'm glad though. I love crosses.

Really?

 

[redzen]

It's been years since i cried for anything. But yesterday i couldn't help it watching that precious piece of art engulfed by the flames. 800 years of history and it had to be in our generation, when we have better technology to avoid these kind of things, when it happened. I feel ashamed and i feel devaststed. Thanks god the main structure could be saved. Notre Dame is much more than a building, it's the history of europe itself and the best example of the most beautiful creations the human hands have ever made, the gothic cathedrals.

 

[foggybottom]

The story that I read stated that the firemen initially had trouble controlling the fire because medieval construction practice placed sheet lead on top of the wood roof to protect it from water damage. It did exactly what it was designed to do and caused the water from the fire hoses to run right off the roof as the fire raged underneath. Finally the lead melted but the extra weight falling onto the stone vault of the nave caused it to collapse inward. This in turn causes an imbalance in the entire structure endangering it to further collapse. I was quite sickened to see the spire fall.

 

[theseus]

The cathedral Notre-Dame de Paris is burning ...

One can't press "Like" on a thing like this. One can only mourn.

 

[messaline]

Be optimist !!!
There are some photos of the Reims'cathedral, bombarded by the German during the first world'war ...



... and actually !

 

[foggybottom]

Be optimist !!!
There are some photos of the Reims'cathedral, bombarded by the German during the first world'war ...

View attachment 695934 View attachment 695935 View attachment 695936

... and actually !

View attachment 695937 View attachment 695938 View attachment 695939

Notre-Dame de Paris will rise like the Phoenix from the ashes.

 

[messaline]

The story that I read stated that the firemen initially had trouble controlling the fire because medieval construction practice placed sheet lead on top of the wood roof to protect it from water damage. It did exactly what it was designed to do and caused the water from the fire hoses to run right off the roof as the fire raged underneath. Finally the lead melted but the extra weight falling onto the stone vault of the nave caused it to collapse inward. This in turn causes an imbalance in the entire structure endangering it to further collapse. I was quite sickened to see the spire fall.

Some more explainations ...

 

[malins]

Your ultra religious family members might tell you the cross/crucifix was undamaged but the whole wall looks to be stone

Even for the not ultra religious that photo can be a powerful image...

we have at Chartres, near the cathedral, a good school were a lot of workers have been formated and no doubt that they'll know to restore them ...

Excactly -- great cathedrals aren't just monuments but a heritage that needs to be maintained even during ordinary times. The cathedral in Cologne for instance has dozens of stonemasons and sculptors for continuing maintenance and upholding the craftsmanship (of course they'll help with other projects too). The cathedrals are also remarkably resilient to disaster as the examples of World War II have shown when many survived direct hits by aerial bombing.

(If however someone suggests putting a postmodern glass/aluminum monstrosity in place of the roof and spire, I think we should revive some other medieval forms of craftsmanship that revolve more around the axe and block, than hammers and chisels...)

What's quite interesting is how the Japanese sustain their shrines, which are usually all wooden, and some of them are older by far than our European cathedrals... it is normal, and sometimes even ritualized, to rebuild them regularly. Their purpose, their dedication, and their general form survives (but evolves) - the material though is completely replaced. And the continuation of the craftsmanship handed down through generations is as much a part of the shrine as is its physical appearance.

 

[hammers]

Notre Dame is (strongly ' IT IS' not 'IT WAS' )an Heritage of European civilization through the Centuries .From Gothic Art
to literature it was a symbol for travellers, scholars and Artists coming from every corner of Europe and elsewhere.
Victor Hugo's novel 'Notre Dame de Paris' melts literature with Gothic Art , valours and common people's ideals.
The novel in due course (1831) even opened the way to a new phase of restoration of the Cathedral based on the popular interest
arisen by Hugo's work. Years have gone since I last read 'Notre Dame de Paris' but the description of the Cathedral's 'gargoyles',
where Quasimodus was used to hide, comes vividly back to memory. Whatever the cost will be, this treasure must be (and certainly it will)
brought to original splendor. Unfortunately time is needed before this becomes reality(the latest optimistic estimate is 20/30 years) .
May I add as a reminder, although already widely known, that Paris' Cathedral was declared a Patrimony of Humanity in 1991.

 

[Praefectus Praetorio]

That’s a totally jerk comment, also.

?

 

[malins]

Hmmm, a potential for European cooperation to rebuild the wooden roof structure? ... Around 1830 the Swedish Crown had an oak forest planted on Visingsö, to use for naval shipbuilding.

They were planning forward to the late 20th century ... by which time of course ships weren't made of wood anymore (and Sweden didn't have too much of a navy).

The trees are still there...
https://www.sfv.se/en/fastigheter/sverige/jonkopings-lan-f/eksgskogen-på-visingsö-eng/

 

[RacingRodent]

?

I think the issue here is one of miscommunication

If we only had T. S. Eliot back for just a day to write a new verse drama, "Murder of the Cathedral."

That’s a totally jerk comment, also.

Murder in the Cathedral is a drama in verse by T.S. Eliot. It was recognised as a classic within a very short time of it first being performed for the Canterbury Festival. As far as I can tell Praetorio is merely expressing the desire that someone with a passion for culture and an understanding of the impact that the devastation of such an icon has on the common psyche would render a suitable memorial in literature of the fire.

 

[Praefectus Praetorio]

I think the issue here is one of miscommunication




Murder in the Cathedral is a drama in verse by T.S. Eliot. It was recognised as a classic within a very short time of it first being performed for the Canterbury Festival. As far as I can tell Praetorio is merely expressing the desire that someone with a passion for culture and an understanding of the impact that the devastation of such an icon has on the common psyche would render a suitable memorial in literature of the fire.

Thank You.

 

[cruxlover]

We must remember that York Minster had it's south transept roof destroyed by lightning in 1984. It has now been restored, so hope for Notre Dame (though a much bigger problem).

The Scots had a good go at Hexham Abbey, but that building's fine to day.
1296Scottish raiders set fire to the Priory, destroying shrines, books and relics.
1297William Wallace – ‘Braveheart’ – carries out another Scottish raid, and attacks the Priory again, destroying what remained after the 1296 raid.
1311 Robert Bruce ravages Tynedale, but stops short of slaughtering the priests at the Church.

And moreover the original St Paul's in London had to be rebuilt after the Great Fire of 1666.

Coventry Cathedral was destroyed by bombing during the Coventry Blitz of 14 November 1940 -
The remains of the old and the new

Cathedrals I am sad to say have a history of fires. Perhaps after rebuilding we should install modern fire protection?
In any case the great timbers that the medieval builders uses are scarcely to be found today.