Notre-Dame, soul of the French nation

On Tuesday morning, the Philippines woke up to the news that the Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris, has burned down.

It’s a shock the world over. Visited every year by about 14 million Catholics, the Notre-Dame, which holds among other important artifacts, Jesus' crown of thorns,  burned during the most important week in for Catholics. 

YouScoopers sent their photos taken between 2014 and 2017 of the iconic cathedral, which was constructed between 1163 and 1345.

The iconic cathedral has been deeply enmeshed in Paris’ history: it was there that Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself emperor of France.

Its massive tenor bell announced the liberation of the city from Nazi control on August 24, 1944, ending the dark years under German rule in World War II.

A spire originally installed toward the year 1250 was taken down five centuries later.

But at the end of the 19th century the architect Eugene Viollet-le-Duc, a tireless defender of France's medieval monuments, rebuilt the spire, sparking a chorus of criticism from residents and tourists alike.

The spire had disappeared from most people's memories when it emerged once again from Notre-Dame's roof in 1860.

It was this spire which collapsed to gasps of disbelief from horrified onlookers shortly before 8:00 pm on Monday, consumed by the flames ravaging the roof and the wooden latice supporting it, known as the "forest".

Experts said the framework of oak beams, invisible to visitors, was a gem of medieval architecture, with some parts of the structure more than 800 years old.

"The soul of the French nation is disappearing, the very heart of Paris and France were wounded today," added Stephane Bern, a journalist who has long campaigned for the defence of the country's cultural heritage. — with reports from Agence France-Presse