The Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Paris (before the fire)

The Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Paris, begun 1163
(recorded before the fire).
speakers: Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker

[@emilykay1369]

I was inside the Notre-Dame the day of the fire, just 2 hours before the flames began! It was such a special experience, and I consider myself so lucky to have witnessed all of that otherworldly splendor. Thank you for bringing history to life with these amazing videos!

[@95GuitarMan13]

A great loss for humanity, hopefully they come up with a considerate response to this tragedy. Victor Hugo's Notre Dame de Paris would be a good read for anyone saddened by the loss of this icon, it's the best love letter to a building I've ever read.

[@vaevictis3612]

Notre Dame de Paris has not suffered any really significant and irreversible damage. Pretty much all the interior has survived unscathed. All important stained glass is without damage too. Give it 5-7 years, and at least from the inside there would be very little to tell about this incident. In fact, roof conflagrations are quite common. In the 1966 Leon Cathedral had its entire roof burning out, but the vault stood and the interior did not suffer significantly. In 1984 York Minster had half of its roof up to the crossing in flames, but again, most of the vault has resisted the damage, and the interior and stained glass was not affected. Back in the day both Chartres, Strasbourg and Reims cathedral were also under fire, but in neither it affected interior to the great extent (even in Reims that was shelled by artillery main organ and other important artifacts survived. In some cases however, like the great Marienkirche in Lübeck, big gothic spires ignited by the british bombs fell down and destroyed most of the original gothic interior, including the biggest medieval organ from ~1400.

[@95GuitarMan13]

@@vaevictis3612 In matters of heritage all damage is irreversible, you can't reconstruct hundreds of years of character. The loss I'm most concerned with is not that from the fire but what I fear humans may do in response, I'm not sure which would be worse: to rebuild "exactly" in a cartoonish attempt to erase this chapter, or a bright and shiny remix of contemporary materials.

[@vaevictis3612]

​@@95GuitarMan13 What is character? How is it really affected by the reconstruction? Do you consider that any, say, facade repair immediately devalues the building? As I said, Notre-Dame de Paris was only marginally affected and no work of art has been destroyed. Yes, the ancient roof of the high vault is gone, but side naves have not been affected. One can always touch the 800y old oaks there. Is Reims and Strasbourg Cathedral worthless, because they have been damaged in a similar, even worse manner? Are you aware that Paris cathedral has been repaired many times already? Has it been "cartounish" to repair the Cathedrals after the ravage of Revolution in a first place? Or maybe we should have left it to rot in fear of affecting a supposed "aunthenticity", and having a bunch of ruins now instead? As long as the aesthetics of the place is preserved (e.g. - Gothic character of the form), nothing will be lost and something may be even gained. In fact, as I said, the roof was off limits to everyone already, even if it restored with more modern materials (such as was done at dozens upon dozens of cathedrals), you could never aesthetically tell the difference. And that is what we must strive for.

[@combatantezoteric2965]

@@vaevictis3612 the oak used for the roof was over one thousand years old! Even if it is still possible to remake the roof using new materials, it will not be possible to make it look exactly like the old one, and if wood is to be used, then the problem is that there is not oak long enough on earth now to remake the frame as in the original architectural plan.

[@dennissweeney6774]

Love your video. Been there two times. I consider myself lucky to have seen such a work of art.

[@keremcomert4239]

Napoleon crowned himself as Emperor of the French, not France. It is a very important distinction regarding his rhetoric.

[@shwetakashyap3874]

This video is very helpful for me thank-you ❤

[@modernmanifesto1295]

who else has their ap art history exam on the 14th !! i’m boutta get that 1

[@smarthistory-art-history]

Good luck Aiden!

[@pleadingmule6700]

Hi

[@TimSlee1]

This is a great analysis of a once beautiful cathedral! I hope they restore it to its former glory.

[@justinthyme5263]

“And people are still enjoying it today”

[@smarthistory-art-history]

Thus the title - before the fire.

[@MadisynTerrell]

i love this channel! so interesting

[@AlexGNR]

I was there the summer before, I filmed the bells going too Super sad 😥

[@paulosamy2696]

Para conservar e ampliar o banho de luz dentro da catedral, o novo teto deverá ser de vidro, de acordo com os avanços industriais da França, nesta área. Luz e vidro e uma arquitetura de vanguarda, é o que se espera da França !!!

[@deer563]

Pls do more vids about notre dame cathedral

[@smarthistory-art-history]

just fyi, we do have videos on the Cathedrals at Amiens, Reims, Lincoln, Durham, Gloucester, Wells, Salisbury, Saint Peter's, Saint Paul's, etc. Maybe start here: smarthistory.org/amiens/

[@felixjieprang]

👍🏼

[@Sasha0927]

Another duplicate, but this is how I'll know I've been here. 👀