I’ll never forget the morning I woke up to discover that Notre Dame in Paris had been severely damaged by a fire the day before. April 15th 2019 will be a day sadly remembered by many, as the roof and spire of the cathedral were engulfed in flames and destroyed. The fire burned for 12 hours in the wooden structure some of which contained original timbers from the 13th century. The heat of the blaze and the collapse of the spire caused some of the stone vaulted ceiling to collapse inwards scattering debris through the cathedral.
The fate of Notre Dame
Firefighters were able to save the bell towers. Now in the aftermath of the fire, there is talk of rebuilding the cathedral, which was already in need of restoration work that had begun.
I was touched by the videos of French citizens gathering outside the burning Cathedral, singing hymns and offering prayers. To hear the bells of all the Paris churches pealing in sympathy to the fate of the heart of Paris was hauntingly beautiful.
I was so relieved to hear that, incredibly, the intricate 13th century rose stained glass windows have been saved. They may have suffered some damage, but are still intact. The grand pipe organ that dates back to medieval times has also been confirmed safe, although rather dusty.
People all around the world were dismayed to hear of the horrific fire in Notre Dame. Visitors who fell in love with the beauty and magnificence of this amazing cathedral took the news hard.
Sentiments of heartbreak and loss
I came across this beautiful poem on Instagram by Kanchana.with.a.camera
Last night I burned to the ground
Kanchana.with.a.camera, 16 April 2019, www.instagram.com/p/BwTdYaZFgJP/
Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust I go
A revolution and two wars I survived
But it was finally a fire that took my life
.
It was my time and into history I went
In your memories I will live
In photographs and in love stories in poems and paintings I will remain
The two towers I leave with you as a keepsake
.
Two hundred years it took to make me
Eight hundred and fifty years I lived
A million visitors admired my beauty while my bells chimed
A million more walked through my belly admiring the stained glass above
.
Your hopes and prayers lay within me I take them to the heavens above
An era has ended and Paris will remember how I was in years to come
Perhaps even rebuild me in the glamour I was once
Gargoyle and hunchback in books for history to look back on
.
Let your tears flow into the Seine below
Let your prayers be heard in the skies above
Let the memories reverberate all around
I will live in the pages of history forever bound
.
A French legacy but an icon to the world I remain as I bid you Au revoir
.
Kanchana
And on twitter, this poignant tweet:
#NotreDame
I used to think that one day I will be able to see Notre Dame.
Well, I was wrong. This is soo sad pic.twitter.com/C2sP8rxeB5— Martyna Stankiewicz (@MartynaStankie1) April 15, 2019
Because it has been a part of history for so long, it was easy to think that it was timeless.
Notre Dame Paris – Before the Fire of 2019
As a contribution to a little bit of history, I would like to showcase a few of my photos that I have of Notre Dame Paris before the fire of 2019.
This is a post for posterity, and also to remind us to treasure each day.
Notre Dame Paris from the outside
The west face of the cathedral, and the Seine river to the south.
The east view of Notre Dame showing some of the flying buttresses.
Illuminated at night, the bell towers and entrances on the west facade.
Notre Dame Paris from the inside
The beautiful vaulted ceilings are so high. As a result, you spend a lot of time looking up.
Intricate stained glass surrounds you when you are inside the cathedral.
The south rose was created in 1260, and has survived the fire
Medieval wood carvings on the chancel screen in Notre Dame Paris, depicting biblical scenes. These carvings date back to the 14th century.
Beautifully illuminated by stained glass windows and chandeliers.
At night time we were able to attend a concert and the arches were glowing with soft blue light. The choir’s voices filled the cathedral and the organ accompanied some of the songs.
The concert was on 12th February 2019 – Bach and the Italian masters. Below is a link to an 8 minute snippet of the concert and a look around inside the nave during the performance.
This is not the end.
The recent fire has caused the most significant amount of damage suffered to date, but this is not the first time the cathedral has been threatened. It has overcome damage caused in revolutions and wars. During its life, it has been remodelled, restored and remade. The French people have the determination and the skills to rebuild their iconic cathedral. Perhaps in another two hundred years, the fire of 2019 will be just another story the stone walls will whisper to its visitors long after we are all gone.
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I was so shocked to watch the fire on the tele as our family was just in Paris a few months ago. Just terrible! The good news is that not all of it is gone, so at least we still have some history to hold onto!
The cost and the time to rebuild the structure is incredible. My heart is with everyone in Paris and of course everyone who adore this beauty of a spiritual structure.
Trace x
I felt the same! It feels like we were just there. I’m interested to watch the progress of the restoration. 🙂