notre dame cathedral rose window collage

The most recent example was the French cathedral at Reims, which was destroyed in World War I and completely rebuilt, much of it with American money from John D. “However, Notre Dame can bounce back with the right amount of funding and public enthusiasm. Notre Dame is also famous for its stained glass, with multiple ornate rose windows, which is susceptible to breaking and high heat.

“There is a considerable amount of important sculpture inside the building, and important religious objects which could not be replaced if lost. If any sparks get below the metal, it can burn.” Historically, the fires in these buildings start in the roof, which is wood covered in metal sheeting. “There was scaffolding across the outside of the church and equipment easily could have set off sparks of some kind. “They’ve been doing some substantial renovation work this year,” Stewart said. To lose the mother church of a diocese, for many, is like losing a parent.” “A cathedral by definition is the seat of a bishop, so it’s also a religious epicenter. “As it is Holy Week, many Masses and liturgies were to be held in the church.” he said. “It was the first Gothic building that went to skyscraper heights and is where many of the elements that we associate with Gothic architecture and that era came together for the first time. “Notre Dame is an emblem of the city and has been for centuries,” Stewart said. Why is Notre Dame historically significant? studies at Columbia University, where he and a team documented the historic building with photos, digital scans and measurements, some of which could be used as part of the restoration efforts. Stewart had special access to Notre Dame during his Ph.D. Hundreds of thousands posted photos of their experiences visiting the cathedral on social media, while others anguished over never having seen the site in person.īuilt between 1163 and the mid-1200s, Notre Dame was built to showcase the power of Paris as a political, intellectual, and spiritual center, according to Zachary Stewart, an assistant architecture professor and architectural historian at Texas A&M University who specializes in medieval gothic architecture. Catholics mourned the damage to their sacred religious center during Holy Week, while others lamented the potential loss of a significant architectural landmark.

The April 15 fire at the 850-year-old Notre Dame cathedral in Paris was met with disbelief and despair by people worldwide.

Notre dame cathedral rose window collage