A jewel of world heritage with centuries of history, burned in a couple of hours... It survived wars, plagues and the elements for 856 years. Today we have lost not only a piece of France's architecture but a piece of world history.
Indeed very sad.
Here some videos about the cathedral.
10 facts
walking tour
bigger walking tour in a playlist
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE-fkPPxjqdy-TXZodgmJTKtcC03oFfOI
Anyhow : I looked some days ago to a discussion on French television where there was a visitor, the architect during
2000-2010 (or was it 2013). He had just had a call that the fire started NOT on a place where workers were busy. Something he heard on the phone with the current overseeing architect..
Anyhow : A major expert said that all options are open of how it was caused.
There was a first alarm, but they didn't see anything, and after the 2nd alarm they finally saw flames, and it went quick.
Sadly that there were no sprinklers and inside there were no water supplies, where pomps could be used.
(as is the case in f.i. the cathedral of Antwerp).
Anyhow : There were always 2 firefighter downstairs, I think 24/7, as I heard on television.
ABOUT THE MONEY : Something very strange is the case with the taxlaws in France : 60% of the gifts are taxdeductable.
This means that the 60% of those 800 million Euro of donations; will have to be payed by .... the French citizens.
But the French president and the government will make special laws for this. Anyhow : 1 day later after these anouncements : 1 of the big givers, said he didn't want the 60% taxdeduction.
Also from Disney there came 5 million dollars. A bit low, according to several French people, considering that the animationmovie "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (i think based on a book of Victor Hugo), had a profit/gained 300 million dollars.
Of course churches are things made in the material world. The spiritual message of Jesus Christ is much more important IMO.
Here 2 videos of the animation movie of Hunchback of Notre Dame (some 2-3 minutes) where the cathedral is the living place of Quasimodo, the hunchback, and you see Esmeralda -the gypsy lady- singing ( "God help the outcasts" ) in the cathedral, and you can see 1 of the colourglasswindows near to the end very well and during the video some statues from in the cathedral.
English version with subtitles but a bit blurry
English version (better quality) no subtitles =
The French version
And to end here a video with Gregorian Chants, about the cathedral : Made by someone as tribute after the disaster. (1 hour).
May Jesus Christ bless you all.
