I saw some pics on FB this morning of the inside of the cathedral Terrible, terrible loss! Thankfully it seemed they managed to save a lot of the art from inside and French billionaires have already promised to donate 100's of millions of Euro towards the rebuild. It's wonderful, but it won't be quite the same though.
It took 20 years to build. In todays environment, instant push key on the phone technology, craftsmanship is not understood. In many cases, true craftsmanship is not wanted, it is wanted NOW. I feel they will try to "restore" it a quickly as possible.
There were cracks in the building before and they decided some maintenance and fixing was needed. Ironically, there was some talks about how much it's costing to fix the building before the fire broke out.
Those old buildings need a lot of upkeep and money thrown at them, but then, imagine the money they are bringing in via tourists? I don't know about that one, but the cathedrals here, like St Canice's in Kilkenny city charge a small entry fee. It's well worth it though! When I visited it about 2 years ago we went up the adjacent tower and the view was worth every cent.
I am grateful I got to see Notre Dame in my youth. I attended a service; it was so beautiful, and very spiritual.
Even if they try to restore it, it will not be the same. There were colors in the stained glass windows the recipe for which have been lost for generations. I don't think there are that many talented stonemasons anymore, and if they try to use molds and concrete... (shakes head)
I saw a post today which I hope was true. That the spire was being restored… so the 16 statues in it had been removed 4 days before. That the stone structure is sound, and "only" one stained glass window was destroyed. That the artwork is safe. I desperately hope it can be rebuilt as closely as is possible with "modern materials" - wood today is just not the same and I am not convinced they'll be willing to clear 52 acres of forest to rebuild. Such a treasure, very sad to hear about. I couldn't bring myself to watch a video. :'(