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Our Lady, a survivor of wars and revolutions, has for centuries been not only the largest of Gothic cathedrals and a jewel of Western architecture.
According to an expert in the performing arts, he presented himself as "one of the great monuments of the best of civilization".
On Monday, a stunned and powerless world of art cried alongside the French population as a huge fire devastated the beloved cathedral.
"Civilization is so fragile," said Barbara Drake Boehm, chief curator of the medieval cloisters branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, her voice trembling as she tried to put into words what it meant. cathedral. the stone has been there since 1163. It has gone through so many hardships. & # 39; & # 39;
"This is not a single relic, nor a single glbad, it's all," she said, struggling to find words large enough to describe the meaning of the cathedral. "It's the very soul of Paris, but it's not just for the French – for all of humanity, it's one of the great monuments of the best of civilization." # 39; & # 39;
Boehm spoke shortly before the Paris fire chief announced that firefighters were finally able to save the structure, including its two main towers. Much of the roof was destroyed.
The exact cause of the fire was not known, but the French media said the firefighters were "potentially" tied to a $ 6 million renovation project ($ 6.8 million). Euros) on the spire of the church and its 250 tons of lead. The Paris prosecutor's office, which was investigating, said it was treating him like an accident.
The construction of Notre Dame – "Notre Dame" in French – began in the twelfth century and continued for nearly 200 years. It suffered damage and was neglected during the French Revolution, but sparked a renewed interest after the publication in 1831 of Victor Hugo's novel "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." This led to two decades of restoration, including the cathedral's famous flying buttresses and a rebuilt spire.
While most kings are crowned elsewhere, Napoleon Bonaparte ensures that he will be crowned there in 1804 and will get married there in 1810.
Experts note that Notre Dame is an aesthetically smooth synthesis of different centuries. "Everything blends so smoothly," said Nancy Wu, an expert in medieval architecture and educator at Met Cloisters. She said she was struck by the delicacy of the structure and by the three beautiful stained glbad rosettes. and the elegant exterior sculptures.
"There are a lot of details that remind one of the intricate lace," she said, "even though it's a hard, cold stone building. . "
In addition to the structure, art experts worried about the fate of countless works of art and priceless artifacts, including relics such as the crown of thorns, which is only that rarely exposed.
"This cathedral contains a number of items that are not only famous but have religious significance," said Julio Bermudez, a professor at the School of Architecture and Planning of the United States. Catholic University of Washington, DC "One of those goals is of course the crown of thorns … the faithful believe that it is the crown that the Savior put on his head." is kept in a very safe place.But you know that fire is extremely damaging. "He also expressed his concern for the stunning stained glbad, which he described as" truly irreplaceable ".
Those worried about the durability of the cathedral might perhaps console themselves in one of Notre-Dame's most fascinating survival stories. In 1977, workers demolishing a wall in another part of Paris discovered 21 heads belonging to statues of the cathedral dating from the thirteenth century. The kings of Judea, who are an excellent example of Gothic art, had been removed to Notre Dame during the French Revolution and guillotined by anti-Royalists who mistakenly thought that they represented the French kings.
The heads, which we thought were lost, are now on display at the Cluny Museum in the capital.
Mourning is not limited to the world of art. Religious leaders also expressed deep sadness at the devastation.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, said that he was praying for Our Lady, whom he called "second perhaps St. Peter's Basilica" (en) … Lord & # 39;. & # 39;
"For the French, my God, for the world, the Notre-Dame cathedral represents what is the most remarkable, the most edifying, the most inspiring of the human project," he said.
Boehm, at Cloisters, has found herself thinking about how the cathedral is both past and present – a lively and vibrant building, despite its age.
"When you enter, you immediately have the sense of all the above and all that is still relevant," she said.
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