Notre Dame de Paris is on fire!!!

**Danny** · April-15-19, 02:05 PM

This is truly a sad day in Paris, France. This is a remarkable historical church.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIXxTrAa9nc

**9936Sussex** · April-15-19, 02:07 PM

I agree Danny, beautiful and so significant to the history of Paris and France. I hope the organ has not been destroyed.

**Zacha341** · April-15-19, 02:18 PM

Sad, and as usual Dailymail has the preponderance of photos....

**gnome** · April-15-19, 02:43 PM

1200 years old. Took 300 years to build. Took longer to build than the USA has existed.

**Danny** · April-15-19, 02:48 PM

Now it's a ruin like the Parthenon.

**Honky Tonk** · April-15-19, 03:33 PM

I'm not saying that this is what happened to Notre Dame, there are no facts yet, but the story is frightening and disturbing.
>
> https://www.newsweek.com/spate-attac...statue-1370800

**Richard** · April-15-19, 04:16 PM

^ they closed the comment section real quick.

Reminds me of how ISIS works,destroy everything related to christianity or any other religion that they do not agree with,maybe it is time to bring the nights templar back.

I was listening to some interviews,they said it needed 150 million in repairs like right now,there was a lot of infighting because there were many different groups in control of it and nobody could agree as to how to stop it from crumbling.

13 million visitors a year and referred to as the most visited place in France.

Lots of artwork masterpieces also lost.

so sad.

**Zacha341** · April-15-19, 07:28 PM

DM is at 9K+ comments...

Originally Posted by Richard

^they closed the comment section real quick....

**oladub** · April-15-19, 09:44 PM

Notre Dame Cathedral is now a good advertisement for sprinkler systems. It's surprising that Paris didn't have a better fire fighting plan in place. The timbers in its roof are hundreds of years old and very dry. Whether the cause was a cigarette, a welding torch, or a disgruntled person, little was in place to stop this fire.

**Zacha341** · April-16-19, 06:02 AM

Photos at daybreak...etc.

**Honky Tonk** · April-16-19, 07:22 AM

Originally Posted by Zacha341

Photos at daybreak...etc.

I love ZNN !

**coracle** · April-16-19, 07:29 AM

According to last night’s local Channel 4 news, arson and terrorism was ruled out! - only circa 8 hours after the fire started.

Same Channel, this morning; fire “caused by construction going on”.

Looks like it was accidental. What is the name of the “Construction” Company?

[[No comments yet from Quasimodo, or Inspector Clouseau).

**Richard** · April-16-19, 07:53 AM

I do not think that they would ever reveal any cause outside of an accident.

The good news is the organ was not damaged,all the statues and valuables had been removed prior to starting the current ongoing construction.

They said that a lot of the crumbling stonework was actually replaced with wood blocks shaped to look like the stone as cost cutting measures in the past.

Interesting that it’s demise is actually turning out to be its savior as the hundreds of millions pledged to rebuild it was not advailable before.

Construction accidents happen,but if one is working on a building such as this given the history and the privilege of having the task,you would think every step would be a highly calculated move.

**Zacha341** · April-21-19, 07:05 AM

Paris police use tear gas against 'yellow vest' protesters

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/20/world/paris-protests-tear-gas/index.html

**Zacha341** · April-21-19, 09:08 AM

Rolling Stone weighs in as to what the rebuilt Notre Dame should reflect...

https://www.rollingstone.com/culture...s-next-822743/

**Canadian Visitor** · April-21-19, 07:26 PM

Originally Posted by Zacha341

Rolling Stone weighs in as to what the rebuilt Notre Dame should reflect...

https://www.rollingstone.com/culture...s-next-822743/

If nothing else, they ought to alter the original design by introducing proper fire suppression systems.

The fire occurred in the attic of the church, and the spire, the interior of these spaces is completely inaccessible to the public and so no aesthetic harm would be done by adding these.

***

Beyond that, if one is to rebuild, it would seem worthwhile to replicate most or all or the original, particularly anything beloved or highly valued about it.

I think any changes should be modest/subtle and reflect fire suppression, accessibility improvements and the like.

That said; I think there has been much controversy in France over massive state spending on a building whose primary purpose remains religion, at least on paper [[tourism is a more likely answer).

Give that the state owns the building, it would not seem unreasonable to insist on greater public/non-religious use of the property; and that the Church pay rent.....and take out tenant's insurance!

**JBMcB** · April-21-19, 07:56 PM

Originally Posted by Zacha341

https://www.rollingstone.com/culture...s-next-822743/

"It is to repeat past errors, category errors of thought, and one has to imagine that if anything is done to the building it has to be an expression of what we want — the Catholics of France, the French people — want. What is an expression of who we are now? What does it represent, who is it for?”

Ah, the continental post-modernist. We had better figure out what a giant national cathedral represents before we make another thought error. Wouldn't want to commit another categorical error of thought, would we? We really need to come to terms with the sociological ramifications and impact of the flying buttress before we move forward on rebuilding.

Thanks for the link, it was good for a laugh.