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Treasures at risk. Many of the cathedral’s priceless relics and artworks were pulled out of harm’s way, including the Crown of Thorns relic purportedly worn by Jesus and brought to Paris in the 13th century by King Louis IX, aka Saint Louis. Other works recently had been removed for restoration, including 16 metal statues representing the 12 apostles and four evangelists, which were lowered from the roof just last week. The best-known masterpiece, however, is part of the building: the south rose window, fashioned in 1260 and commissioned by Saint Louis. It remains unknown whether this window was destroyed or severely damaged by the fire.

It's survived looting and neglect. The cathedral was brought back from the brink once before by Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, which spurred a massive restoration in the 19th century. Much of the current structure, in fact, dates back to that effort. Nicolas Delesalle, a Paris Match journalist, tweeted about how a priest lamented today that the worst loss was the 13th-century wooden framework known as "The Forest." The building was also ransacked during the French Revolution, seeing its treasures stolen and statues beheaded.

Was the building already in trouble? The ongoing renovations were the tip of the iceberg when it came to Notre Dame's long-neglected maintenance, authorities say. A year ago, reporters were shown a structure crumbling before their eyes. Some stones had fallen and others were stapled together, while flying buttresses that maintain the cathedral's graceful walls were eroded by weather and pollution — putting the entire structure at risk.

WHAT TO READ

Witnessing the Fall of Notre-Dame by Rachel Donadio in The Atlantic
“I was standing in a hushed, pained throng along the Quai d’Orléans of the Ile Saint Louis facing the back of the basilica, and when I watched the spire fall, I gasped and choked back tears.”

Notre Dame’s Fame Through the Ages in the Wall Street Journal
“The cathedral has suffered severe damage several times in its history, including during the French Revolution at the end of the 18th century.”

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