Significant restoration works have been identified as a potential cause of the fire
French President Emmanuel Macron and Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo have pledged to ensure that the medieval Cathedral of Notre-Dame will be rebuilt following Monday鈥檚 devastating fire.
The inferno, which was first reported at around 7pm local time, claimed the Gothic building鈥檚 roof and felled its 19th century spire as Parisians and tourists looked on in horror. Updates on the 850-year-old building鈥檚 stone work 鈥� including its signature towers 鈥� suggest the structure can be saved.
According to The Telegraph, while the cause of the blaze was not immediately confirmed, the fire service said significant restoration work to remedy cracks in the historic building could be to blame for the fire.
French prosecutors said the blaze was being treated as an 鈥渋nvoluntary鈥� fire, indicating that foul play was ruled out for now.
Last night RIBA president Ben Derbyshire said the cathedral was the 鈥減innacle of achievement by medieval stonemasons鈥� and that the institute would support its restoration 鈥渢o its rightful place in the pantheon of great structures鈥�.
However Derbyshire added that the incident, the cause of which is under investigation 鈥� but which broke out while restoration work was under way 鈥� appeared to be the latest in a long line of avoidable tragedies.
鈥淭oo many heritage assets have been damaged by neglect, carelessness or conflict in recent years,鈥� he said.
President Macron last night pledged that the cathedral would be rebuilt as 鈥減art of our French destiny鈥�, with a fund due to be launched today.
French construction giant Vinci, which worked on restoring the Hall of Mirrors at the Ch芒teau de Versailles 15 years ago, issued a call to arms to France鈥檚 builders 鈥渢o join forces鈥� to rebuild the cathedral, sometimes known as Our Lady of Paris. It said a quick response 鈥渨ould allow to begin its reconstruction as soon as possible鈥�.
It added: 鈥淭he partial destruction of Our Lady is a tragedy. Nothing will ever replace the 13th century structures and the part of Notre-Dame 鈥� which survived the fire 鈥� must be preserved.鈥�
Before most people would have had time to consider their donations, two huge pledges were made by French corporate giants, totalling 鈧�300m (拢258m) alone.
The AFP news agency reported that Fran莽ois-Henri Pinault, chairman Kering group, which owns the Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent fashion brands, had pledged 鈧�100m (拢86m); the Reuters news agency reported that the family of Bernard Arnault鈥檚 and its LVMH a business had pledged 鈧�200m (拢172m).
Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo said she and Notre-Dame rector Bishop Chauvet would co-ordinate fundraising for work which would 鈥渘ecessarily take several years鈥�.
Hidalgo said she planned to organise a major international conference of donors at Paris鈥� City Hall.
Her office said that some important items of art and holy relics had been saved from the blaze by firefighters who formed a human chain.
Rescued items included a relic of the crown of thorns believed to have been worn by Jesus Christ at the crucifixion and the tunic of St Louis, the mayor鈥檚 office said.
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