Luxury groups respond quickly after fire ravages Notre-Dame
18/04/2019
The roof is destroyed and the spire collapsed, but the main structure of the cathedral, the construction of which began in 1163 and ended in 1345, appears to have survived. Firefighters worked through the night to bring the fire under control.
On the morning after the fire, there was also optimism that the principal organ and some of the spectacular rose windows may be saved too. Many ancient religious treasures and works of art were also recovered.
The archbishop of Paris, Michel Aupetit, paid tribute to the bravery, precision and professionalism of the firefighters, saying they had worked courageously and tirelessly to control the fire but had also gone about their work carefully to try to minimise the damage. He said he had received countless messages of solidarity from people of all faiths from all parts of the world. He said: “Notre-Dame has been a place of faith for centuries and still is today, but, with its history, it is also the soul of France.”
A major reconstruction project will be required and will probably run for years. Within hours of the fire breaking out, France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, said a campaign to raise money for the rebuilding project would launch right away.
Among the first to offer support for this campaign were the leaders of luxury groups Kering and LVMH. Chief executive of Kering, François-Henri Pinault, pledged €100 million. Mr Pinault told the BBC: “There is an urgent need to restore the cathedral and that’s why we have decided to unlock this important sum of money.” He said it was a decision he had taken jointly with his father, François Pinault, the group’s founder, immediately on hearing news of the fire.
In a parallel statement, LVMH, said: “The LVMH Group, in solidarity with this national tragedy, are committed to assist with the reconstruction of this extraordinary cathedral, symbol of France, its heritage and its unity.” The Arnault family, which owns LVMH, committed to donating €200 million and LVMH said it would make its creative, architectural and financial specialists available to help in the project.
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