This is beginning to look very bad for the historic Paris treasure.

Geez. I was just thinking today if it was going to come to something like this. Hopefully peace can be restored. Paris is a beautiful city and I'm sure most of the residents are very unhappy with this situation.

What a mess !! I am so sad. I have no words.
The roof is fully destroyed and that’s only the beginning...

Holy shit!
How can this happen?
I´m shocked. I love Paris.

Terrible, I have no words.

Sad to see this beautiful, historic landmark like this.

An ancient, iconic, irreplaceable building. I’m devastated, especially for the people of Paris. Was last there in Oct 2017 but walked on by due to the huge visitors line. Seems to be related to an ongoing renovation. Tragic loss.

Very very sad. If it was the Eiffel Tower, I could live with it.

Very sad to see this beautiful, historic and Cultural Paris Cathedral is on fire and probably lost.

Very sad for the world of history and art.

Watching live on TV just now. A sad sight.

This only a fire, which occurs almost everywhere all the time. The church can be rebuilt.

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Chris Fountain
This only a fire, which occurs almost everywhere all the time. The church can be rebuilt.

cold

This will be viewed as a national tragedy in France. It's a sad loss to Catholics around the world, especially during Holy Week. It's a sad day to those who can appreciate the loss of something that holds such artistic and historic importance.

I am baffled to find that there are shallow, self-centered sociopaths around who get off on trolling threads where people are sharing their grief. Do those sociopaths hang around cemeteries to crash funerals so they can taunt grieving family members?

One of the onsite reporters said it's been falling apart for decades. Gargoyles have fallen off, stone flying buttresses replaced with wood, and other deferred maintenance issues. It's a wood-frame building underneath the stone exterior. It's going to cost a fortune to rebuild, but it may be rebuilt better and for not that much more than maintaining the old one. They have lost a lot of history and the interior artwork.

Just the loss of the stained glass is heartbreaking. There is so much more, 850 years of history, just gone in hours. I’m sorry for those who never saw it. There will always be those who don’t appreciate it - cynics who know the price of everything and the value of nothing.

Quote
5stringTele
This will be viewed as a national tragedy in France. It's a sad loss to Catholics around the world, especially during Holy Week. It's a sad day to those who can appreciate the loss of something that holds such artistic and historic importance.

I am baffled to find that there are shallow, self-centered sociopaths around who get off on trolling threads where people are sharing their grief. Do those sociopaths hang around cemeteries to crash funerals so they can taunt grieving family members?

I agree with you. There is incredible immaturity on this thread. Some of these pre-teens know nothing of history, of the place Notre Dame occupies in French history, art, faith. It is iconic and has been appreciated by countless millions over the years.

Very sad, such an iconic building for France and the World.......

Terrible news. Hopefully the hunchback got out on time.

sad news indeed.

hopefully it can be restored

if the walls and tower stay intact it would have a chance.

be gutted if we lost the gargoyles, they are iconic and would be difficult to replace.

many old buildings in warsaw were restored after the war, so it can be done.

It is sad. Preserving historic and cultural things are important, because our past is not really past. It's our history, we carry it forward.

I can’t help but feel it’s symbolic of the blight//stains/ abuse come to light/truth on the church.


((sorry if that is offensive))

I was deeply moved walking thru it my first time Oct 2017
Saint Chapelle and Norte Dame were my first choices to see in Paris.
It was incredible——



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-04-15 23:02 by 35love.

Quote
SomeTorontoGirl
Just the loss of the stained glass is heartbreaking. There is so much more, 850 years of history, just gone in hours. I’m sorry for those who never saw it. There will always be those who don’t appreciate it - cynics who know the price of everything and the value of nothing.

Very well said!

Very, very sad .... Such an historic and iconic place in France....

Visited Paris many times, seen the Notre Dame many times form the outside, but never inside, mostly because the huge mass of visitors standing in line to enter the cathedral which scared me of.... Always thought I would be back later to see it from the inside.....

Almost everything can be rebuild but the true spirit will be gone forever!

A fireman just says that the forthcoming hour will tell us all, his fear is mainly for the building itself...let's hope he's wrong...

HMN

might lose its spirit but gain a safety certificate.

It's not "only" a church. It's much more especially for the people in Paris, in France - a national symbol, a treasure etc. This fire is a big tragedy.
I visited this incredible church in 2017 the day after the last Stones show. Remember one of the unofficial graphics: It shows a view from Notre Dame...

Here it is:



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-04-15 23:34 by MAF.

BBC reports: Everything is burning, nothing will remain.

Quote
SomeTorontoGirl
Just the loss of the stained glass is heartbreaking.

I just look at the photos I made in October 2017. But they cannot really catch the atmosphere and beauty of these windows. Very sad...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-04-16 00:01 by MAF.

I can't believe that people feel the need to troll a thread like this, but anyway--whether you're a French person or a Francophile, a Catholic or an atheist who loves art and architecture, a historian, a poet, or simply a human being who recognizes beauty and a connection with the past, this is a terrible loss.