Fire at Notre-Dame de Paris: the works that were saved, and the ones that were destroyed

While the firefighters were fighting their lives at the risk of the flames that ravaged Notre-Dame de Paris, others were working throughout the night to save the priceless works and relics housed in the secular building. While some are miraculously intact, others are in an uncertain state. Still others have finally disappeared into the inferno.

Laurent Prades, steward of the internal heritage of Notre-Dame de Paris, himself spent the night to shelter these jewels. Tuesday morning, with the firefighters, the architects of the Buildings of France, and the curators, it drew up an inventory of the works still on the spot, and in particular those which it is necessary to leave "imperatively, in the hours which come, before this do not collapse further. "

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These works that could be saved from the flames

The cathedral contained priceless relics. Most were able to be released on time. This is particularly the case of the Holy Crown , posed, according to the belief of the Catholics, on the head of Jesus shortly before his crucifixion. It consists of a "ring of rushes gathered in bundles and held by gold threads, with a diameter of 21 centimeters, on which were the spines," says the site of Notre-Dame. The tunic of Saint Louis , also preserved in the cathedral, is also saved.

In each chapel of the cathedral hung paintings of the 17th century where, every May, the greatest painters of the time represented religious themes. These works, thanks to the firemen, could be transferred in the night from the cathedral to the Hotel de Ville.

"Most of the furniture has been saved," said Tuesday morning Laurent Prades. On Europe 1, the steward of the interior patrimony of Notre-Dame gives reassuring news of the two organs of the cathedral. "The daily organ, which is in the choir, was copiously watered, but it was to preserve the stalls of the 18th century which are just below, and the great organ, it was absolutely not touched. took soot and dust, so it's totally useless, but it did not take a single drop of water, nothing burned, nothing melted, "he says. This great organ has five keyboards, 109 games and nearly 8,000 pipes. Built from the 15th century, it has gradually expanded, until reaching the 18th century its current size.

EXCLUDED - The organ of Notre-Dame de Paris has been miraculously saved!

As for the three rosettes , at least one of them was spared, as shown in this photo taken inside.

Rosace is saved! pic.twitter.com/QYNTkmiCQX

The stalls (rows of seats, linked to each other and aligned along the walls of the cathedral choir, ed) dating from the 18th century have not burned, found Laurent Prades on site. Like the Pieta, a monumental statue of the sculptor Nicolas Coustou commissioned by Louis XIV according to the wishes of his father Louis XIII, and located behind the altar. "The vault and the spire have collapsed to a few centimeters, but it is perfectly intact," says the manager.

The stalls of Notre-Dame, before the disaster. Photo credit: Ludovic MARIN / AFP

The works and relics deposited in the Parisian museums

"For the moment, the major works released this night have gone on deposit to the City of Paris, and we will organize in the day of Tuesday the release of other works," said Laurent Prades at the microphone of Europe 1. "According to all The Parisian museums, such as the Louvre and perhaps Cluny, will be hosting large-scale works. "

These works that were destroyed

Collapsing, the spire, which was more than 90 meters high, carried with it three relics hidden in the rooster statuette at its top, which was used as a wind vane: one of the 70 thorns of the Holy Crown of Christ, a relic of Saint Denis and one of Saint Genevieve. The reliquary rooster , which was to be unhooked in June to be restored, melted.

Centennial windows , too, have disappeared.

The frame , nicknamed "the forest" because of the countless beams which constituted it, dated from the 13th century. Some oak beams would even date from the 8th century. Nothing remains today of this priceless treasure and perfectly preserved until Monday evening.

The #NotreDame frame was nicknamed "the forest" because of the large number of beams used for its installation. It is oak. Its dimensions are impressive: more than 100 m long, 13 m wide in the nave, 40 m in the transept and 10 m high. pic.twitter.com/pMBhN4UEU6

These works and relics of which we do not yet know the state

Inside the cathedral are still major works, including very large paintings . "The little ones measure 3 meters by 4, the biggest 5 by 5. It will take hours to get them out of the cathedral, knowing that access to the site is not yet secure. a dozen men, "warns Laurent Prades.

Our Lady preserves two other relics of the Passion of Christ: a piece of the Cross and a nail of the Passion . For now, we do not know what state they are in.