Dollieh Sanctuary

Even in the midst of Devastation there are Miracles. Also there is talk that the detailed artwork from Assassin's Creed might help in the restoration of the cathedral. That's kind of cool.

From an article in the Independent - there's a link in the article to one fundraiser, too:

Gilded candlesticks, artworks and furnishings were among the treasures seen being rushed from the cathedral by a "human chain" before being bundled into trucks by police officers.

Some of the cathedral's most precious objects, including a relic purported to be the crown of thorns worn by Jesus Christ on the cross, were whisked away to a secure facility.

The glass in the smaller window on top is gone but look at the larger one on the bottom. Soot covered hope?




*And in the history of the cathedral it would appear a lot of the glass has been repaired or replaced over the years. The revolution did a number on the grotesques. The steeple that collapsed only dates from the 1860s. Presently watching a live feed where they're taking a stone statue off the top of the south facade.

Dolykim, the photo I posted above is from this morning.

DollyKim wrote:The glass in the smaller window on top is gone but look at the larger one on the bottom. Soot covered hope?

*And in the history of the cathedral it would appear a lot of the glass has been repaired or replaced over the years. The revolution did a number on the grotesques. The steeple that collapsed only dates from the 1860s. Presently watching a live feed where they're taking a stone statue off the top of the south facade.

I do hope at least one of the massive windows has survived.

Yes, in doing some reading, I, too, learned that the spire was built in the mid-1800s, during a major reconstruction starting in 1844 that spanned 25 years. Major portions of the roof were replaced at that time, and many of the sculptures and details were restored or replaced. During that renovation, the restorers went to elaborate pains to restore the cathedral as closely to its pre-Revolution appearance as possible. The spire was a taller recreation of an older one dating back to the 1400s that had been torn down in 1786 because it had become so badly deteriorated.

During the French Revolution much of the cathedral was stripped and vandalized, and from the time of the Revolution until Napoleon came to power in 1801 the building was being used as a storage warehouse.

While the damage is quite extensive as a result of the fire, I suppose Notre Dame can be considered a "living, evolving" structure, to the extent that a structure can be considered living, and this is yet another major incident in a long history filled with both glory and tragedy.

I am not feeling as pessimistic and hopeless about this as I was yesterday.

UPDATE: as of the evening of Tuesday, April 16, reports from Paris suggest that all three great rose windows survived the fire!

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news ... fire-44049

So much heartening news this morning. I have no doubts that with the way people are stepping up, and France's commitment, they will rebuild and make this grand dame safer.

Kirahfaye wrote:Even in the midst of Devastation there are Miracles. Also there is talk that the detailed artwork from Assassin's Creed might help in the restoration of the cathedral. That's kind of cool.

This picture made me so happy, since this was the window I was most worried about and sad about losing.