Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris: the Tragic Fire

« Il se mit à fuir à travers l’église. Alors il lui sembla que l’église aussi s’ébranlait, remuait, s’animait, vivait, que chaque grosse colonne devenait une patte énorme qui battait le sol de sa large spatule de pierre, et que la gigantesque cathédrale n’était plus qu’une sorte d’éléphant prodigieux qui soufflait et marchait avec ses piliers pour pieds, ses deux tours pour trompes, et l’immense drap noir pour caparaçon. » 

~ Victor Hugo Notre-Dame de Paris  


« Après tout, il ne tournait qu'à regret sa face du côté des hommes. Sa cathédrale lui suffisait. Elle était peuplée de figures de marbre, rois, saints, évêques, qui du moins ne lui éclataient pas de rire au nez et n'avaient pour lui qu'un regard tranquille et bienveillant. Les autres statues, celles des monstres et des démons, n'avaient pas de haine pour lui Quasimodo. Il leur ressemblait trop pour cela. Elles raillaient bien plutôt les autres hommes. Les saints étaient ses amis, et le bénissaient; les monstres étaient ses amis, et le gardaient. Aussi avaitil de longs épanchements avec eux, Aussi passaitil quelquefois des heures entières, accroupi devant une de ces statues, à causer solitairement avec elle. Si quelqu'un survenait, il s'enfuyait comme un amant surpris dans sa sérénade. » 


~ Victor Hugo Notre-Dame de Paris  

«He therefore turned to mankind only with regret. His cathedral was enough for him. It was peopled with marble figures of kings, saints and bishops who at least did not laugh in his face and looked at him with only tranquility and benevolence. The other statues, those of monsters and demons, had no hatred for him – he resembled them too closely for that. It was rather the rest of mankind that they jeered at. The saints were his friends and blessed him; the monsters were his friends and kept watch over him. He would sometimes spend whole hours crouched before one of the statues in solitary conversation with it. If anyone came upon him then he would run away like a lover surprised during a serenade.»

― Victor Hugo, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame 


"Notre-Dame de Paris en proie aux flammes. Émotion de toute une nation. Pensée pour tous les catholiques et pour tous les Français. Comme tous nos compatriotes, je suis triste ce soir de voir brûler cette part de nous."  — Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) April 15, 2019   ("Notre-Dame de Paris in flames. Emotion of a whole nation. Thought for all Catholics and for all French. Like all our compatriots, I am sad tonight to see this part of us burn." )

Image courtesy of ben.snider's Flickr page - Notre Dame South Glass; France: https://www.flickr.com/photos/13012027@N04/2073417549/in/photolist-4adNNr-cvQnhf-nZbmw1-jvSPF6-e1ZJRk-qx7ff-etH5FJ-7d4jUs-K61XV-98LiUp-ZxSn8k-29nmV5W-57b8nd-bqFMdi-4HX6AX-ohiTRK-4tDtBH-oAjbQv-pjEZh-9EKzhP-2c9nxQW-K63Zc-bqFGT4-K62Cn-247t3YC-6PwFmt-tHzud-4HX6Qa-8oHLNd-dAUqHd-54z6U7-4Je762-66x6VL-4tHwiG-57b921-upaPY-fcmhfa-ohWdN9-K62QT-ax5G9j-4Qk3hx-9ENw2s-4XZGfz-ndH5w9-ax2Umn-54zawE-bqFEjg-4VCa6Y-57b8iC-cSKHSb

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Image courtesy of Pedro Szekely's Flickr page - Notre-Dame Cathedral: https://www.flickr.com/photos/pedrosz/28198464088/in/photolist-JXNuXj-279v5B9-5gX1JR-xAu3K-6dSqnu-JPqPFy-7dixfF-HMPkfi-kshKXo-8EcaEZ-o476mS-Wkr3Nb-2erDrFb-o8251s-kqW3iN-sv9Kaa-xAy5n-tHDft-6hJS9r-jphU4a-auFpD8-24MY9yy-6hJS8i-tHDfC-aejX58-tHDfv-9EKzfk-tHzua-269d6nT-4adNNr-cvQnhf-nZbmw1-jvSPF6-e1ZJRk-qx7ff-etH5FJ-7d4jUs-K61XV-98LiUp-ZxSn8k-29nmV5W-57b8nd-bqFMdi-4HX6AX-ohiTRK-4tDtBH-oAjbQv-pjEZh-9EKzhP-2c9nxQW

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Image courtesy of Celso FLORES' Flickr page - Paris - Notre Dame: https://www.flickr.com/photos/celso/2701644331/in/photolist-57JCJF-d89ixW-auFqQr-7d2zaw-eusNi4-k5YA4s-K5Y1F-eTeJWP-5FbH6c-drsxSC-7P7XZc-5RVhJd-q6dATN-7uHAxA-auJ785-54zafG-auJ5jh-jpTZSz-4gZsZJ-drs79i-5ZezE4-2erUkQJ-auFr8n-K5YwR-UE2dfm-6qAF6B-K67qP-4xRfqp-N67uDv-4xf5mj-7PbYpy-HL6Rc-9KbPGb-Qj6CDN-7KX5k8-7P7YZX-7tdEfW-5ZpvyJ-8Efn33-5PVksf-opVhJX-aaxo6F-7P7WDv-k61gbc-5RYPCw-9uG6uN-6eDruU-2b5RWtD-nZboiN-WxS2D4

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Image courtesy of David Merrett's Flickr page - Cathedral of Notre Dame  Paris, France: https://www.flickr.com/photos/davehamster/8164290385/in/photolist-drs86k-7Tdz61-drsxSC-8hjNne-ohQyht-drsNcd-fp6vMS-oAjbQv-9TZr1r-37UmJi-sv9Kaa-7TajDe-o8wjDH-7TakZK-68RUm6-eMAQ3N-o8v5Uo-8j32mn-53Hzja-ohWdN9-auFpD8-d89ixW-oWo8Mx-7N1Fzx-cbWgVG-9RVUKM-6FMbRc-2eTZ5gP-2erUkQJ-dvobRE-82TaKK-drsBEB-6HPRsz-2aQ56Cq-9UrP5o-ahwbEL-9U8Nae-6qAF6B-6FzZN6-24PFeSU-2376yCo-7oogRD-esYHyS-wrRA4-Zb8TBh-6FAzuP-82Wmt5-dyW1h4-82T7Yt-6FzTr2

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Image courtesy of Josh Hallett's Flickr page - Notre Dame - Paris, France: https://www.flickr.com/photos/hyku/5338714771/in/photolist-98LiUp-ZxSn8k-29nmV5W-57b8nd-bqFMdi-4HX6AX-ohiTRK-4tDtBH-oAjbQv-pjEZh-9EKzhP-2c9nxQW-K63Zc-bqFGT4-K62Cn-247t3YC-6PwFmt-tHzud-4HX6Qa-8oHLNd-dAUqHd-54z6U7-4Je762-66x6VL-4tHwiG-57b921-upaPY-fcmhfa-ohWdN9-K62QT-ax5G9j-4Qk3hx-9ENw2s-4XZGfz-ndH5w9-ax2Umn-54zawE-bqFEjg-4VCa6Y-57b8iC-cSKHSb-54uTjn-5KRbsk-baaoEX-235a9Ko-K67vH-8ohzP1-7WYyGB-AAcZc-iZVsY8

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Funny what seems important from one day to the next. Yesterday, as I was trying to publish something here, I looked and felt that this was a good, solid month with "The Charbor Chronicles." I had published a lot already, and felt good about all that I was still actively writing.

There is only one thing to talk about today, however, And while yesterday I felt relatively happy, today, there is a sense of sadness, of loss.

Of course, I am talking about the burning of the beautiful Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.

Yes, it was one of those moments, one of those news stories when I will remember exactly where I was when I first heard the news - and I heard about it late. I was actually driving back home after work, when I heard the reports. Up until then, I was feeling more or less in a good mood, having worked many hours between two jobs, but about to enjoy a week off from the school for the Easter/spring break, and having had a surprisingly good and easy day that had moved relatively quickly. When you work a lot of hours, you can hardly ask for more. So, I was in a decent mood.

And then, the horrible reports were coming in about a fire that was still in progress, and which was destroying most of the Notre-Dame Cathedral. Suddenly, I was not feeling so good, and felt rather stunned.

I will admit to a couple of things. My first thoughts were angry ones: why in the hell does it seem that almost all of the news coming from France is bad news? I mean, I can think of two major and mostly positive stories in recent years, which included France winning the World Cup last summer, and the Paris Climate Accord in 2015. But the Paris Accord just happened to be held in that city, and was not specific to France, or Paris. Otherwise, all of the news seems to be horrific. The Charlie Hebdo attacks. The attacks of November 13-14 of 2015, particularly at the Bataclan theater. The tragedy in Nice, when a pathetic asshole plowed down as many people on possible on a crowded street on France's national holiday (known in English-speaking countries as Bastille Day) in 2016, killing 86 and injuring 458 other people.

And now, Notre-Dame was burning.

Admittedly, I also (apparently mistakenly) assumed that it was terrorism. The timing of this, just before the Easter holiday, simply seemed a little too suspicious. Fortunately - to the extent that anything about this story that can be said to be fortunate - it was apparently not terrorism, and as of right now, there are no reports of any loss of life, although one firefighter is reported to have suffered an injury. Let us hope that he will recover quickly. Let us also remember the bravery of the firefighters and police who responded and tried to do everything that they could to contain and stop the fire. 

It could have been worse, they are saying. The damage is extensive, to be sure. The spire collapsed, along with much of the roof. So much of it was destroyed, and we have yet to receive word about how much of the priceless works of art kept inside were damaged or outright destroyed in this horrific fire.

Yet, President Emmanuel Macron, who visited the scene of the fire and spoke from there, had some reassuring words:

"The worst has been avoided, although the battle is not yet totally won," the president said, adding that he would launch a national funding campaign on Tuesday and call on the world's "greatest talents" to help rebuild the monument. 

"Notre Dame of Paris is our history, our literature, our imagination. The place where we survived epidemics, wars, liberation. It has been the epicenter of our lives."

How important was Notre-Dame to Paris specifically, and to France more generally?

Well, Notre-Dame receives about 12 million visitors per year, more than any other monument in Paris. More than the Louvre, and twice the number of visitors as the Eiffel Tower. Many have commented that this is one of the most iconic buildings in the world, an instantly recognizable monument that is rich beyond measure historically and architecturally. I remember my father repeatedly telling us that Notre-Dame was considered the center of the city of Paris, which itself is considered the center of France. So, Notre-Dame has long been, in a very real sense, the very center of France, and was considered as such long before even the Eiffel Tower was built.

That might seem hard to believe for some people. but I think a tourist book that I picked up some years ago (Eyewitness Travel Guides: France by DK Publishing, reprinted 1999) put it very well in explaining the significance of the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris:

"No other building epitomizes the history of Paris more than Notre-Dame. Built on the site of a Roman temple, the cathedral was commissioned by Bishop de Sully in 1159. The first stone was laid in 1163, marking the start of two centuries of toil by armies of Gothic architects and medieval craftsmen. It has been witness to great events of French history ever since."

Indeed, there has been a tremendous amount of history in this building that has been central to Paris, and indeed all of France, for the better part of a millennium. The first stone was laid in 1163 by Pope Alexander III, yet it took nearly two centuries to complete. There were two prominent coronations here. Henry VI in 1422, and this is where Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself Emperor in 1804. It was ransacked and seriously damaged during the Revolution, and converted into the "Temple of Reason" when Catholicism fell out of favor. Centuries after she was burned at the stake by the English, Joan of Arc was beautified by Pope Pius X in this cathedral in 1909. When the occupying Germans were about to retreat from Paris, Hitler ordered much of the city - including the Notre-Dame cathedral, to be destroyed. But General Dietrich von Choltitz refused to carry out these orders because he had fallen in love with Paris, believed that Hitler had gone insane, and felt that this would serve no military purpose. There was a memorial service for American President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1945.

All of this history meant that the Notre-Dame gained an added significance. It was more than merely a building with some historical value. It was more than a church, for that matter, and you did not have to be a devout Catholic in order to be awed when in it's presence. Throughout it's history, it has been at the center of Paris. Great political and religious leaders came here, specifically. There was a whole school of music, fittingly called the Notre Dame school or the Notre Dame school of polyphony, that came into existence here from about 1160 to 1250, and it referred to the composers who worked at or near the cathedral during this time. Great thinkers and philosophers debated in cafes just outside of the cathedral. Ironically, the Catholic Church that the cathedral represented posed a threat to these thinkers and their freedom, and later, paradoxically, many thinkers almost threatened the continued existence of the cathedral, and arguably the Catholic Church itself, during the Revolution. Indeed, much of what we have come to think of as our western traditions have passed through or very near this central location in Paris. Even in recent years, the cathedral was symbolic of historical events. The bells of Notre-Dame rang to honor the victims of the 9/11 attacks, as well as the more recent Charlie Hebdo and Bataclan attacks inside of Paris itself. In fact, Notre-Dame itself was targeted by terrorists on more than one occasion, although fortunately, nothing came of those plots.

Perhaps nothing symbolizes the historical and artistic significance of the Notre-Dame de Paris quite like Victor Hugo's novel of the same name, although it is known in English by the title “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” He wrote his famous novel, which described both the beauty of the cathedral, as well as the decrepit condition that it had fallen into, which informed enough people of how neglected the cathedral had become, that many felt something needed to be done. This sparked an interest in restoring it, and not long afterwards, there were indeed extensive renovations from 1844 to 1864, when the architects Jean-Baptiste-Antoine Lassus and Eugène-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc redid the spire and flying buttresses. In this way, the cathedral survived the thinking by many that it should perhaps be torn down. It was during these renovations that the famous gargoyles were added, specifically to try and restore a medieval feel to the cathedral, and to that part of the city more generally. Personally, I think this worked very admirably. 

This is why the burning of this cathedral was so horrific, and why so many people around the world are mourning this loss on this, the day after the fire. It might be no stretch to say that this might be compared with the fire that destroyed the library at Alexandria, if some of the priceless works of art and relics are destroyed. Those include a piece of what is believed to be the True Cross, as well as a piece of the Crown of Thorns worn by Jesus. It really is no stretch to suggest that a huge part of Paris, both architecturally and historically, was destroyed in the fire. Again, President Macron's words:

“Notre Dame of Paris is our history. The epicenter of our lives. It’s the many books, the paintings, those that belong to all French men and French women, even those who’ve never come.”

Notre-Dame has survived so much in it's time. It has survived wars and plagues, occupations and, yes, fires. It was partially destroyed during other chapters in French history, as well, as Gillian Brockwell from The Washington Post explained in a great article (see link below):

During the reign of Louis XIV (1643-1715), Notre Dame underwent a rather unfortunate renovation. Stained glass was replaced with clear windows, a pillar was demolished to allow carriages to pass through, and the original rood screen — an ornate partition usually made of wood or stone that divides the nave from the chancel — was torn down.

The French Revolution era was even worse for it. Seized by revolutionaries, dozens of statues were destroyed. The bishop’s palace was burned to the ground and never rebuilt. The spire was deconstructed after it was damaged by wind. Lead from the roof was used for bullets, and bronze bells were melted down for cannon, according to National Geographic.

Yes, the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris has survived all of this, and much more. It has stood despite literally being beaten down at times by horrible weather, by wars and plagues and occupations and  neglect and being defaced. And yes, it has survived fire in it's storied past, as well. Already, we are getting reports that at least the structure has survived and remains intact.

Hopefully, it will survive this, too.

This is the only picture that I know of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris with me pictured along with it. It was taken a while ago, as evidenced by  my hair. I believe that this was taken back in 1998, but it may also have been in 2000. Sitting on a bridge near the Île de la Cité, with the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris in the background — in Paris, France.

Notre-Dame Cathedral: A Short History by Karen Zraick and Heather Murphy April 15, 2019:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/15/world/europe/notre-dame-cathedral-facts.html

Notre Dame’s Fame Through the Ages The soaring cathedral, which caught fire Monday, has seen the coronations of kings and emperors, the beatification of Joan of Arc and other famous events
A Wall Street Journal Roundup Updated April 15, 2019:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/notre-dames-fame-through-the-ages-11555354747

True Cross and Crown of Thorns: Priceless treasures of Notre Dame published by RT, Published time: 15 Apr, 2019:

https://www.rt.com/news/456622-notre-dame-cross-crown-relics/

Here may be a hopeful sign. The first images from inside of Notre Dame in the aftermath of the fire that consumed much of it can now be seen. It seems that it was at least not totally destroyed, although we need to see just how much of it was salvaged. Let us hope that most of it, at least, survived, especially the Crown of Thorns and the True Cross (the piece of the original cross of Jesus), as well as the Stained Glass windows. We will likely find out in the coming days and weeks. But here are the first images of the inside of the cathedral following the fire:


Paris: First images emerge of the inside of fire-ravaged Notre-Dame Cathedral by The Local/AFP news.france@thelocal.com @thelocalfrance, 16 April 2019:

https://www.thelocal.fr/20190416/paris-first-images-emerge-of-inside-of-fire-ravaged-notre-dame-cathedral?fbclid=IwAR1K3n9giUeWZ0xgrdPTOYUazoUD_DyX3UBrSZgPDTiwiNLAlAYR4BubkuI

Another hopeful sign, as this article shows that a good amount of the cathedral was saved from the fire:

Notre Dame Cathedral devastated by fire, but part of the Paris icon is saved By KIM WILLSHER and LAURA KING APR 15, 2019:

https://www.latimes.com/world/la-na-notre-dame-cathedral-fire-20190415-story.html




Here is another article (in French) that suggests that at least the structure of the Notre-Dame Cathedral has indeed been preserved. 

Incendie à Notre-Dame : la structure de la cathédrale « est sauvée et préservée dans sa globalité » Par L'Obs avec AFP  Publié le 15 avril 2019 à 19h17:

https://www.nouvelobs.com/societe/20190415.OBS11614/notre-dame-de-paris-victime-d-un-impressionnant-incendie.html?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR0aRhvsx8xgzee6ihdx5q1XYRa_2sakp_Kgt4DX86AExIKyaqohSfUT9rI#Echobox=1555348775

This was another great link that discusses, in decent detail for a news article, the history of the cathedral, and the links to it and Hugo's famous novel:

Notre Dame was in ruins. Victor Hugo’s novel about a hunchback saved it. France has rebuilt its iconic cathedral before by Gillian Brockell April 15, 2019:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2019/04/15/notre-dame-was-ruins-victor-hugos-novel-about-hunchback-saved-it/?utm_term=.516e20fecb82

This was yet another great link that shows pictures of the Notre-Dame throughout it's history:

These Historic Photos Of Notre Dame Cathedral Show Its Eventful Past by Laura Geiser and Ben King of Buzzfeed News, April 15, 2019:

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/laurageiser/historic-photos-notre-dame-cathedral

An article from Canada (in French) that discusses the historical link between Victor Hugo and the Notre-Dame Cathedral:

Notre-Dame de Paris, le chef-d’œuvre de Victor Hugo qui avait sauvé la cathédrale Publié le lundi 15 avril 2019 à 16 h 55 Mis à jour le lundi 15 avril 2019 à 23 h 37, Agence France-Presse:

https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1164507/notre-dame-paris-chef-oeuvre-victor-hugo-sauve-cathedrale?fbclid=IwAR0LpDaHfolJA0ZfqHYVgHs8siu6obaSX7A4DBB0M71EtK9s9NNYjyDVSEk

Another interesting article (again, in French) elaborating on the link between Hugo and the Notre-Dame:

Notre-Dame de Paris, de Victor Hugo PUBLIÉ LE 12 décembre 2018

https://ellettres.wordpress.com/2018/12/12/notre-dame-de-paris-de-victor-hugo/




The quotes specifically from French President Emmanuel Macron used above were both taken from this article:

Notre Dame Fire: Paris cathedral suffers catastrophic fire, spire collapse but structure saved by the Associated Press, April 15, 2019:

https://abc7.com/notre-dame-fire-cathedral-spire-collapses-but-structure-saved-police-chief-says-/5251285/?fbclid=IwAR1PHXc8TBULagEiIGjHBwzhLBAJ6vAa7YRyj4OCNX01bVprNK-rxVcW9pk