The start of the reconstruction of Notre Dame has just been announced, another "heavyweight" church in France is on fire
[Global Times Special Correspondent in France Pan Liang] French Minister of Culture Barcelo just announced on the 16th that Notre Dame de Paris will start reconstruction as soon as January 2021, another "heavyweight" Gothic church in Brittany, France In the early morning of 18th local time, he fell into flames. According to the French "Le Monde" reported on the 19th, a church worker was detained by the police that day, he was suspected of deliberately setting fire in the church.
On July 18 local time, according to Agence France-Presse, a fire broke out in a Gothic cathedral in Nantes, France, and the fire has now been controlled.
The Cathedral of Saint Pierre and Saint Paul in Nantes is a landmark of Nantes, the capital of the Loire region of France. At 7:30 a.m. local time on the 18th, the main facade of the church suddenly burst into smoke. Pedestrians in the past saw the scene immediately and called the police. Hundreds of firefighters rushed to extinguish the fire immediately. After more than two hours of fighting, the fire was controlled at 10 am. Prime Minister Castel, Interior Minister Dalmanin and others went to the scene of the fire to inspect in the afternoon. According to firefighters, there were three different places where the church caught fire on the day, so the authorities have investigated the case of "deliberate arson".
Nantes Cathedral was built in 1434 and completed in 1891 after 457 years of construction. Although the church is a typical flame Gothic style, but because it is located in the cultural and historical center of Brittany, the architectural style is very local. From a distance, it looks like a fortress surrounded by a zigzag city wall. It was listed as a fortress in 1862. Historic Buildings. In addition to its great architectural value, the sarcophagi of the Francis II of Duke of Brittany and the Duchess of Margaret are also stored in the Basilica of Saint Pierre and Saint Paul in Nantes. The two side-by-side mausoleums are carved in white marble, and the duke's hands are folded and their faces are serene on the coffin cover. It is a must-see attraction for tourists in Nantes. However, the church had a lot of fate. It was bombed by the Allied forces in 1944 during World War II. After many years of reconstruction, it suffered a fire in 1972 and most of the roof was burned.
Nantes city prosecutor Sanes said the police had launched an investigation and there were fires in three places on the scene, including the large organ and the left and right ends of the nave. Firefighters emphasized that “this fire is very different from the situation at Notre Dame Cathedral.” Nantes Cathedral replaced the wooden roof with a concrete structure after the 1972 fire, so there is no risk of collapse. However, the wooden organ built in 1619 was "destructively" destroyed, and the 16th-century glass window behind the organ was also burnt. After the incident, Macron tweeted that after the Notre Dame Cathedral, Nantes Cathedral fell into flames again, paying tribute to the firefighters who rescued this "Treasure of Brittany Architecture". People on the left and right sides of the political arena also expressed their distress for the fire and praised the work of firefighters. On the morning of the 19th, a Rwandan man responsible for closing the cathedral every night was detained by the police. According to police, the man's activities on the evening of the 17th had multiple contradictions with his schedule, and he was suspected to be involved in the fire.