Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris

A huge conflagration began Monday around scaffolding where renovations were being done to repair the ancient cathedral of Our Lady of Paris on the roof around the spire.  A team of architects, firemen, and others will be exploring the ruins at first light and checking on structural integrity as well as fire and water damage.
 French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday night that the cathedral will be re-built.  He said that a national fundraiser to restore the capital's iconic landmark will begin Tuesday, and that he is calling on the world's "greatest talents" to help restore the church.
   The building of the current cathedral actually began in 1163, but it was built over a previous Christian basilica, which was built over what might have been a Gallo-Roman temple built for Jupiter.  The original Roman hypocaust system is/was viewable in the ancient crypt and museum beneath the cathedral before the fire.
  The clearing of the old basilica began in 1160.  The building of the new cathedral commenced in 1163.  The apse and choir was completed in early 1182, and the high altar was consecrated in May 1182 by the Papal Legate and the Bishop of Paris. In 1225, the Western facade was completed, and in 1250, the Western towers and the North rose window were finished. And in the 14th century the flying buttresses were added, with the gargoyle rain spouts.
   In the mid 16th century the Huguenots destroyed several statues in and around the cathedral, considering them to be idolatrous. The original spire on the cathedral was removed in 1786 due to damage from wind and weather.  Then came the French Revolution in 1793, and many statues of Saints and Biblical personages were destroyed by the mob, who believed they represented French Kings.  The cathedral became the center for the Cult of Reason, and finally, just a large warehouse for the Republic.
  Napoleon Bonaparte then became ruler of France in 1801, and in 1802 he returned the cathedral to the Catholic Church.  In 1831, Victor Hugo's novel Notre-Dame de Paris (The Hunchback of Notre Dame in English publishing houses) was released, and great interest was declared in restoring the cathedral to it's former glory.  In 1844, King Louis Philippe ordered the restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris.
  The commission for the restoration was won by two architects, Jean-Baptiste-Antoine Lassus and Eugene Viollet-le-Duc.  They supervised a large team of artisans, who remade, or added new elements, to the interior and exterior decorations in the spirit of the original, if they had no designs to follow.  They also made a taller and more ornate reconstruction of the original spire, using old oak covered with lead, and added statues of the twelve apostles around the spire. The spire itself weighed 750 tons.  The rooster at the summit of the spire contained three relics: a tiny piece of the Crown of Thorns, located in the treasury of the cathedral; and relics of Saint Denis and Saint Genevieve,the patron saints of Paris.  They were placed there in 1935 by the Archbishop Jean Verdier, to protect the congregation from lightning or other harm.  The restoration lasted 25 years.
  During the Liberation of Paris in August 1944, the cathedral suffered damage from stray gunfire.  Some of the medieval glass was damaged and was replaced by glass with modern abstract designs.  Generals Charles De Gaulle and Philippe Leclerc were present for the special Mass held on 26 August to celebrate the liberation of the city from Nazi Germany.
   To mark the 800th anniversary of the Cathedral in 1963, Culture Minister André Malraux began cleaning the facade of the building, removing centuries of grime and soot build-up, and restoring the stones to their original off-white color.  Stones damaged by air pollution were replaced, and a discreet system designed to keep pigeons from soiling the roof was placed.  Another major cleaning initiative began in 1991.
    Usually artwork, relics and other antiquities stored at the cathedral include the supposed Crown of Thorns which Jesus wore prior to his crucifixion and a piece of the cross on which he was crucified, a 13th century organ, stained glass windows, the bronze statues of the twelve apostles and many more carved and chiseled statuary items.  Most of the artwork and treasures were removed from the cathedral during this bout of restoration work.
    The current renovations are causing  huge disagreements between the Archdiocese of Paris and the French government.  The French government owns the land and the building, but placed it in the care of the Archdiocese of Paris.  They both say the other should pay for the repairs and restoration - or they said, before the fire.  The French Ministry of Culture has given $2.28 million for the restoration, but the estimated cost is/was $6.8 million.  The Archdiocese is claiming that that wouldn't have repaired the spire, let alone all the other needed work.  They have stated that gargoyles have fallen off the buttresses and plastic pipes are being used to take rain water from the roof; that the flying buttresses themselves are rotten and falling, that there are huge cracks in the wall facades; and that the entire cathedral could fall in any large storm.
   There is currently no argument that the restoration efforts from 1845 to  1870, while producing a beautiful look, used inferior materials, and have caused further deterioration of the whole fabric of the building.  It has been stated that the original stonework is sound, but any repairs since 15 are not.  And a large part of all of the deterioration of the building is due to air pollution - the chemicals in our air today are softening and destroying stone that has lasted for centuries.
   The Cathedral of Notre Dame usually has 30,000 to 50,000 visitors each day.