Michael Kimmelman

They knocked off the heads of the Old Testament figures on the front who they thought were kings, and they melted down the bells and turned them into cannonballs and coins.

They knocked off the heads of the Old Testament figures on the front who they thought were kings, and they melted down the bells and turned them into cannonballs and coins.

Yeah. By the time of Napoleon right after the revolution, The place was a wreck. It was a dump. It had been ruined during the revolution, but it was also falling apart.

Yeah. By the time of Napoleon right after the revolution, The place was a wreck. It was a dump. It had been ruined during the revolution, but it was also falling apart.

When Napoleon decided to have his coronation there, it was so bad that he had to get a couple of architects, like very high-level interior decorators, to basically hang a lot of tapestries to cover up all the mess behind it, like a stage set. And then that also caused Victor Hugo, the writer— to write a book about a hunchback bell ringer in which he... I've heard of it.

When Napoleon decided to have his coronation there, it was so bad that he had to get a couple of architects, like very high-level interior decorators, to basically hang a lot of tapestries to cover up all the mess behind it, like a stage set. And then that also caused Victor Hugo, the writer— to write a book about a hunchback bell ringer in which he... I've heard of it.

He spends a chapter lamenting what had happened to Notre Dame, that this was said, what it said about France and what Notre Dame meant to the country.

He spends a chapter lamenting what had happened to Notre Dame, that this was said, what it said about France and what Notre Dame meant to the country.

Yeah. He wrote in, shall we say, ripe prose... and in long, voluptuous sentences, but I'll read you a couple. So first of all, he begins this chapter about Notre Dame. He says, the Church of Notre Dame de Paris is without doubt, even today, a sublime and majestic building.

Yeah. He wrote in, shall we say, ripe prose... and in long, voluptuous sentences, but I'll read you a couple. So first of all, he begins this chapter about Notre Dame. He says, the Church of Notre Dame de Paris is without doubt, even today, a sublime and majestic building.

But however much it may have conserved its beauty as it has grown older, it is hard not to regret, not to feel indignation at the numberless degradations and mutilations which time and men have wrought simultaneously on this venerable monument. It's a call to arms. It's a call to arms, exactly. Which I think is interesting, Michael, because – That's the point.

But however much it may have conserved its beauty as it has grown older, it is hard not to regret, not to feel indignation at the numberless degradations and mutilations which time and men have wrought simultaneously on this venerable monument. It's a call to arms. It's a call to arms, exactly. Which I think is interesting, Michael, because – That's the point.

Notre Dame, for him, represented France. And so its recovery, its preservation, was about France's preservation, its heritage, its strength. Hugo had no... particular patience with the church, but he believed that the building itself meant a lot to the nation. And that book came at the same time as a movement was rising in France to preserve its heritage.

Notre Dame, for him, represented France. And so its recovery, its preservation, was about France's preservation, its heritage, its strength. Hugo had no... particular patience with the church, but he believed that the building itself meant a lot to the nation. And that book came at the same time as a movement was rising in France to preserve its heritage.

And those two things led to the restoration of Notre Dame in the 19th century, to prevent its collapse, basically, and to restore it. And that was a key moment in the history of not just Notre Dame and Paris, but the whole idea of historic preservation globally.

And those two things led to the restoration of Notre Dame in the 19th century, to prevent its collapse, basically, and to restore it. And that was a key moment in the history of not just Notre Dame and Paris, but the whole idea of historic preservation globally.

A palace of the people. That's right. He saw it as representing all sorts of romantic ideals about the people. about community, about glory. And that book helped inspire the renovation of the cathedral in the 19th century. It was brought back. We got the spire that then became famous on the Paris skyline. Hugo's book also made it more of an attraction.

A palace of the people. That's right. He saw it as representing all sorts of romantic ideals about the people. about community, about glory. And that book helped inspire the renovation of the cathedral in the 19th century. It was brought back. We got the spire that then became famous on the Paris skyline. Hugo's book also made it more of an attraction.

People wanted to come to Paris to see the building. Eventually, Disney wanted to make movies about it. People from all over the world came. More of them then went to see the Eiffel Tower in Paris. More of them then went to visit the St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. And in that sense, it really did become truly a palace of the people. And so what did this fire say about us, about this moment?

People wanted to come to Paris to see the building. Eventually, Disney wanted to make movies about it. People from all over the world came. More of them then went to see the Eiffel Tower in Paris. More of them then went to visit the St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. And in that sense, it really did become truly a palace of the people. And so what did this fire say about us, about this moment?