Notre Dame: relics saved and those destroyed by fire

PARIS (AFP) .- This is not just a
iconic cathedral or part of the
history of

la France

where the
scenario of the coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte.

Our Lady

It is one of the most important museums in the West, for the remains that it retains between its walls and which are now in danger after yesterday's fire, which completely destroyed a large part of the building.

The
certainties are few. Even the authorities can not confirm one hundred percent what relics were hit by flames and who managed to escape. "The employees of Notre-Dame, the architects of the built heritage of France, the staff of the Ministry of Culture, have mobilized to guide firefighters and show them the work to be saved at all costs," said today. the secretary of state. from the inside, Laurent Nuñez.

The most precious replica preserved at Notre-Dame is the holy crown, which, according to the Catholics, bore Jesus shortly before his crucifixion. It is composed of a circle of reeds agglutinated in fagots and connected by gold threads of 21 centimeters in diameter in which were found the spines. According to earlier versions, this piece could be saved, like the tunic of San Luis, one of the most famous kings of France. Last night, Bishop Patrick Chauvet, rector of the cathedral, suggested it according to what was published by
Le Figaro. Notre-Dame also preserves two other relics of the Pbadion of Christ: a piece of cross and a nail.

In the cathedral, there are also three organs. The great organ, the most remarkable among them, has five keyboards, 109 sets (set of tubes) and nearly 8,000 tubes. Built from the 15th century, it was gradually strengthened to reach its current size in the 18th century. He survived the French Revolution without suffering damage and it seems that he also managed to survive the fire of yesterday. However, the problem lies in the fact that their pipes are made of a tin and lead alloy that withstands very little heat and moisture changes.

The three rose windows, stained glbad windows representing the flowers of paradise, were built in the 13th century and renovated many times. The rosettes north and south, the largest, have a diameter of 13 meters. They represent prophets, saints, angels, kings, scenes of the life of the saints … In the center of the three is represented respectively the Virgin, the Child Jesus and the Christ in majesty.

Philippe Marsset, vicar general of the archdiocese of

Paris

yesterday described the "sparks caused by molten lead falling from the ceiling" of these parts, but felt that they had been saved.

The sixteen copper statues adorning the spire of Our Lady, representing the twelve apostles and the four evangelists, have escaped the flames. They had been removed from their base a few days earlier to be restored.

And some elements of the altar have suffered the same fate: according to the pictures of the interior of the building, there remains a cross, as well as the statues of the main altar, depicting "The descent of the cross" and " The burial ", as well as the sculptures of Luis XIII and Luis XIV.

The loss

One of the first symbols of this Parisian and world emblem to disappear was the cathedral spire, 93 meters high, which sank while most of the roof did. According to the first information, with this piece, the rooster who crowned the needle and who housed a crown of thorns, a relic of San Dionisio and another of Santa Genoveva, did not not been saved either.

The flames devoured the wood armor of more than 100 meters long called "the forest" because of the large number of beams that had to be used to install them, each coming from a tree. According to the Paris Fire Department spokesman, the equipment balance is "dramatic": "The whole roof is damaged, all the armor has been destroyed, part of the vault has collapsed, l & # 39; Needle does not exist anymore ".

Similarly, several other works of art may have disappeared, such as the "large paintings" of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Heritage experts are also concerned about stained glbad.

For his part, Bishop Chauvet said that the "large paintings" or the "great Mayas" of the cathedral could not be "cleared". The rector thus evoked the paintings of several meters offered to the cathedral from 1630 to 1707 (except in 1683 and 1694) by the corporation of the goldsmiths of Paris. There were 76 in total.

In addition, the fate of works such as the visit of Jean Jouvenet (1716) and Santo Tomás Aquino Antoine Nicolás (1648) is not known. The emblematic arrow of Viollet-le-Duc (1860), overseen by one of the apostles of copper, was destroyed.

And there is also uncertainty about the windows of the cathedral. Under the heat of fire and the fall of the structure, some of these relics could be destroyed. Indeed, Philippe Marsset, vicar general of the archdiocese of Paris, one of the first to enter the cathedral at night, described the scene as "bombing" and "stained glbad".

To meet the many demands, the Heritage Foundation today launched a "national collection" for the reconstruction of Notre Dame. For his part, the President

Emmanuel Macron,

who, during his on-site visit, was overwhelmed by emotions, badured "that a national subscription will be launched" and said: "Beyond our borders, we will call the greatest talents […] who will contribute. And we will rebuild. "

Photographic edition: Fernanda Corbani