Glass rose windows, relics escape inferno
Print Edition
FOUR-HUNDRED-YEAR-OLD paintings hung high inside Notre-Dame were damaged by the immense fire that engulfed the Paris cathedral, but emergency workers formed a human chain to whisk gem-studded chalices and other priceless artefacts out of harm’s way.
Notre-Dame’s famed stained-glass rose windows and most of its many religious relics appeared to have escaped the worst of Monday’s inferno as well, easing fears for the fate of the vast trove of artworks in the 800-year-old Gothic cathedral.
Among the most cherished articles to make it out unscathed was the “Sainte Couronne” (holy crown), made of braided reed brought to France from Constantinople in the 12th century. Though lacking its original thorns, the crown has been revered as an object of Christian worship for centuries.
Gold, silver and gem-inlaid chalices, candelabras and many other artefacts survived the blaze thanks to quick-thinking firefighters, police and city employees who formed a human chain to move revered artefacts away from the flames.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo tweeted a picture of heavy-set candlesticks stacked in the safety of nearby Paris City Hall.
Art specialists were still poring over the extent of the damage to Notre-Dame’s 13th-century south rose window, measuring 10 meters across, and other stained-glass masterpieces still standing after the cathedral’s wood-beamed roof collapsed.
“It seems they have not been destroyed for now, although we’ll have to see what real state they’re in, and whether they can be restored properly,” said Maxime Cumunel, secretary general of France’s Observatory for Religious Heritage. “We have avoided a complete disaster. But some five to 10 percent of the artwork has probably been destroyed, we have to face up to that,” Cumunel said. Four of the largest-scale 17th- and 18th-century paintings depicting scenes from the lives of the apostles had been damaged, at least in part, he added.
Culture Minister Franck Riester said the paintings were mainly affected by smoke damage, rather than by flames.
The artworks, which were dampened during the 15-hour battle to douse the blaze, will be removed on Friday and transferred to the Louvre museum, where other objects will also be kept, for attempts at restoration.
Some facts and figures
Name
Notre-Dame de Paris, which means Our Lady of Paris.
Construction
The building stands on the Île de la Cité, a small island in Paris’ Seine River. Construction began in 1163, and its two massive towers were finished around 1245, but the building was not completed until the beginning of the 14th century. Its central spire was added in the 19th century.
Measurements
The interior of the cathedral is 130 meters by 48 meters. The main structure is 64 meters high. The three famed rose windows date to the 13th century.
French Revolution
In the wake of the French Revolution, the cathedral was declared a “Temple of Reason” as part of an anticlerical movement. All the original bells were destroyed, except for one, called Emmanuel, and weighing 13 tons.
Restoration
In 2013, the cathedral celebrated its 850 years with a refurbished organ. Each of the nearly 8,000 pipes, some of which date back to the 18th century, was individually cleaned and returned to its place. Meanwhile, nine new, gargantuan bells replaced the 19th century ones.
Visitors
An average of 35,000 people a day visit the cathedral.
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