Notre Dame Paris

By joining our community you will have the ability to post topics and access other forums reserved for members. Registration is quick, simple and absolutely free. Join our community today by clicking here.

Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2019 6:04 pm

I'm devastated by the live stream showing the cathedral being consumed by fire. Crying or Very sad

I fear the entire building may be lost.

Baiting Guru Joined: 07 Jul 2006 Posts: 5727

The Spire has fallen and I doubt there is anything they can do to save it.

Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2019 7:38 pm

That was a bucket list visit. Damn.

Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2019 8:28 pm

I've had the good fortune to visit Notre Dame nearly every year for 50 years now. I am not religious but I've always found it deeply moving to spend time in such a wonderfully historic building. Sadly, it's very unlikely I'll ever be able to go into it again. It will take decades to restore, and I don't have that much time left............. Sad

Posted: Tue Apr 16, 2019 12:17 am

This is an immense tragedy. Today, we are all French. Fortunately, it appears that the relics and art were saved; regardless, the building itself is a massive loss. Here is hoping that I will see it standing anew within my lifetime.

I will add a French flag to my signature France

for the next few days, or potentially weeks or months, to honor and mourn the cultural legacy which was lost today. Please feel free to join me. The cathedral has survived before, and hopefully it will rise from the ashes like a mighty phoenix in a glorious rebirth.

Baiting Guru Joined: 25 Jul 2017 Posts: 2107

Architecture can affect us so much, and convey that intangible sense of a space. This is a huge loss.
I have always loved that John Ruskin quote:

Quote:

“When we build, let us think that we build forever. Let it not be for present delight nor for present use alone. Let it be such work as our descendants will thank us for; and let us think, as we lay stone on stone, that a time is to come when those stones will be held sacred because our hands have touched them, and that men will say, as they look upon the labor and wrought substance of them, 'See! This our father did for us.”

Buildings such as Notre Dame are the epitome of that philosophy. It goes beyond words. What a shame.

Posted: Tue Apr 16, 2019 3:40 am

MrMystery314 wrote:

Fortunately, it appears that the relics and art were saved

Some, but surely not all. I dug up many of my photos from the last 10 years or so today to remind myself of how much wonderfulness was in that enormous structure. I had forgotten a huge series of 14th century gilded carvings illustrating biblical stories. They were immense. I very much doubt they could have been saved in the desperately short time officials had to save as many treasures as possible. And that was just one of dozens of wonders in that church.

I'm glad they were able to save the towers, and (perhaps) much of the stone structure, as well as some of the more easily moved art treasures. But I don't think there's any question that much was lost.

I can imagine that in the next couple of years they might be able to rebuild a portion of the church, including a new altar. Services will be held in there before too long. But restoration of the full extent of the building will take decades. I will never again see it as I have always known it, and that saddens me more than I can express.

Not quite a Newb Joined: 03 Apr 2019 Posts: 56

It is indeed very sad to see the destruction of this iconic building. Especially awful when the spire fell and hearing the reaction of the crowd.

I'm reminded of how sad I felt when the Cathedral in Christchurch City, NZ was devastated by the earthquake disaster in 2010/11. You could walk up very narrow spiral steps until you reached an opening and step out to peruse ChCh in all her glory!

Eight years later and the centre of town is still pretty much devastated and I'm not sure if the cathedral can be saved, even though some of it is still standing.

I hope the powers that be will be able to resurrect Notre Dame no matter how long it may take.

Posted: Wed Apr 17, 2019 1:54 am

Anyone interesting in donating to help rebuild, please go to the Notre Dame's website: http://www.notredamedeparis.fr/friends/donate/. Even if your donations are paltry in comparison to the hundreds of millions pledged, every little bit helps show how much this loss of our cultural legacy means to us.

Posted: Wed Apr 17, 2019 3:56 am

Thanks for that link. I wanted to make a donation but wasn't sure how. I just now did.

Posted: Wed Apr 17, 2019 4:40 pm

I've felt so very sad this week. I worked in Europe for a short time in the late 80s and loved being in Paris. It's a relief to know the cathedral can be salvaged, but what a heart-wrenching week.

Posted: Fri Apr 19, 2019 1:14 am

Though I am a long-lapsed Catholic, watching the footage of this tragedy was very gut-wrenching. During my 13 years of education in parochial schools, Notre Dame was generally presented as being second only to St. Peter's in terms of significance, tradition, and magnificence. May it be quickly restored.

Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2019 10:27 pm

My love of gargoyles came from my 2 visits to Norte Dame. I found the link to friends of Norte Dame on a news report and myself and my daughter made a donation.

Such a beautiful building. Let's hope it rises from the ashes soon.