Notre-Dame is burning!

[Cheetah]

Apparently a work accident during restoration...

https://www.france24.com/en/20190415-fire-paris-france-notre-dame-cathedral

 

[Bei1052]

I'd hate to be the person deemed responsible.

Whooboy. Might have to leave the country.

 

[Thorgalaeg]

The main spire has collapsed.

I posted it first in the bizarre news thread thinking it was not that serious, but obviously this need its own thread now.

 

[rah]

No more happiness in CIV IV

 

[Lexicus]

RIP nice building. France will have to figure out how to keep playing without the +2 in every city on their continent.

 

[Thorgalaeg]

They are doing some heavy works at the nave roof and it seems the fire started just there. Maybe some negligent worker left a cigarette next to a thinner can?

 

[Cheetah]

Spire was from a restoration in 1844.

But the stained glass windows... And all the statues and drapes and other art...

 

[Birdjaguar]

Of course they will rebuild it!

Ah @Marla_Singer our hearts are with you.

 

[Pangaea]

Looks like the whole thing is ablaze unfortunately. Most likely everything they haven't managed to remove will be lost, including art. Hopefully the structure will remain. I see they are pouring water on the walls, which I guess is all they can really do at this point. Sad sight

 

[GoodEnoughForMe]

The spire is only about a hundred years old if I understand correctly, I just hope it does not spread to much into the 900 year parts.

About 150 years old, and there was 20th century glass in it as well. The original one was removed in the late 1700s after having been basically destroyed by wind and time. The real bummer is the fire just keeps going and has gotten to the super old wood and original stained glass.

A lot of these monuments are basically running real time ship of theseus examples. Turkey has had to replace and renovate like everything over the years thanks to earthquakes.

 

[SupremacyKing2]

They are doing some heavy works at the nave roof and it seems the fire started just there. Maybe some negligent worker left a cigarette next to a thinner can?

That worker is soo getting fired.

On a serious note, It is so tragic. Notre Dame cathedral is a cultural and religious wonder. It is a huge loss.

 

[Pangur Bán]

Heart-breaking.

 

[Thorgalaeg]

Old cathedrals have more wood than one would think. They burn pretty well.

Nobody considering terrorist job yet?

 

[Birdjaguar]

I took this very bad photo in 1964 in front of ND while they were filming "Is Paris Burning".

 

[Pangur Bán]

200 years to build, virtually gone in a few hours. The most visited tourist site in Europe apparently, besides the Great Bazaar in Istanbul.

 

[Thorgalaeg]

A bit of our western cultural heritage turned into smoke.

BTW, It seem they are going to save the two big towers at least.

 

[Kyriakos]

200 years to build, virtually gone in a few hours. The most visited tourist site in Europe apparently

That can't be correct at all. For starters even the Eiffel tower is probably visited more. Then there are other stuff like the Acropolis.
I have once modelled the Notre Dame. It has historic value, yet the actual spire is less than impressive. It isn't on a monumental scale either - you can fit the entire thing inside the Hagia Sophia, using mostly the space below the central dome.
There are more impressive gothic cathedrals, including a number of other french ones. Old monuments tend to collapse from time to time, and as noted a lot of the parts are by now from more modern periods.

 

[Pangur Bán]

If anyone's never been there and wants to appreciate its majesty, it's fully reconstructed in Assasin's Creed: Unity, which is generally available for about £1 / $1 / E1--though there artwork inside is different in places.

 

[Pangaea]

Really wouldn't want to be the construction/renovation company right about now. They must have messed up something fierce.

Just hope most of the 'shell' can be saved, and as much artwork as they are able to reasonably safely remove. Once a fire gets this bad, there is no stopping it. And from what I just read, it has spread to one of the iconic towers as well now.

 

[Hrothbern]

Heart-breaking.

Yes