|
 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 (33 feet), 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 from Friday and transferred to
the Louvre museum, where other objects will also be kept, for
attempts at restoration, he added.
DAMAGE "MAKES ME QUAKE"
It remained unclear how well the cathedral's towering master
organ, embedded into a sculpted wooden casing, had fared, as
rescuers remained on high alert for the possibility that some of
Notre-Dame's fragile vaults might come crashing down.
The organ - which survived the French Revolution in the late
18th century, when it was used for recitals of patriotic songs -
may have been slightly damaged too, according to Cumunel, though
city hall officials said it was largely intact.
[to top of second column] |
"What's happened is really disturbing and makes me quake," said
Veronique Proust, a specialist guide who has led tours of the
cathedral and its treasury for a quarter century.
"For 25 years I've shown these treasures, the exceptional quality of
the stone carvings, now I've got nothing to show anymore."
Most of the sacramental artefacts in Notre-Dame's treasury - where
they were traditionally kept as reserves to be sold off or melted
down in times of need - date from the 19th and 20th centuries.
It was not immediately clear how much Notre-Dame's treasures were
worth, with Riester only pointing to the many "years and hundreds of
millions" of euros of investment that would be required to restore
the cathedral.
A combined 460 million euros ($520 million) has already been pledged
for reconstruction and restoration efforts, led by a 100 million
euro donation from Francois-Henri Pinault, billionaire boss of
Gucci-owner Kering, and 200 million euros from his rival Bernard
Arnault, head of luxury group LVMH.
Oil company Total promised 100 million and Paris City Hall a further
50 million.
State-owned investment fund Caisse des Depots said it would donate
oak timber from the forests it owns to help rebuild the framework
under the cathedral roof, which went up in flames.
Other relics that made it out of the wreckage included a tunic worn
by Saint Louis, a 13th-century king of France, while the cathedral's
13-tonne bell, its largest, which rings sonorously on special
occasions like Easter, was spared.
Sixteen bronze statues that adorned Notre-Dame's collapsed spire -
itself a 19th-century restoration - were airlifted out just days
before the fire as part of ongoing renovations.
A gold cross stood eerily intact above the altar on Tuesday,
surrounded by debris - the first images from inside the cathedral
that reached the wider world.
(Additional reporting by Julie Carriat; Editing by Luke Baker and
Mark Heinrich)
[© 2019 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2019 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |
