Two wealthy families have pledged millions to help with the restoration of the Notre-Dame Cathedral which was engulfed in flames earlier this week.
Paris, France – The world has been horrified by the loss of rich history as the Notre-Dame Cathedral was engulfed in flames. The spire and roof of the gothic cathedral went up in smoke which billowed above the famous city.
Notre-Dame Cathedral is visited by millions of people every year. The 856-year-old building was thankfully saved but has had substantial damage. Most of the roof is collapsing into itself, along with its main spire. It is not yet confirmed what the damage will amount to, but some priceless history has been lost in the process.
The fire raged for 9-hours but thankfully, the two iconic rectangular towers and many of the precious relics, including the Crown of Thorns, which is said to have been worn by Jesus Christ before the crucifixion, have been saved. They managed to save most of the precious artworks from the building before the fire took over.
France plans to start an international fundraising campaign to raise money for the renovations. French billionaire François-Henri Pinault, husband to actress Salma Heyak, has pledged 100 million euros to the restoration of the building. He is joined by the richest man in Europe, Bernard Arnault, whose family have also pledged nearly double that of François-Henri Pinault.
The Arnault family head-up the LVMH luxury goods group, famous for brands like Louis Vuitton, Givenchy, Dior, Marc Jacobs, Moet and Dom Perignon. The family released a statement saying,
“The Arnault family and the LVMH group would like to show their solidarity at this time of national tragedy, and are joining up to help rebuild this extraordinary cathedral, which is a symbol of France, of its heritage and of French unity.”
The tragedy has united the people of France, and many are encouraging the city to work together through the restoration process.
I heard this outside of my window and found this. Notre Dame is being serenaded. Honestly, it’s more moving than I could describe. pic.twitter.com/3AZRkFh1yO
— Jojo 🌯 (@imperiumsilver) April 15, 2019
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