Philippe Villeneuve

He changed his agenda for this momentous event.

Notre Dame was more important than politics.

Not knowing the full extent of the damage, President Macron decided that the cathedral would be rebuilt in five years.

Donations came from all sides, ranging from small to huge amounts.

They reached the incredible total of 846 million euros.

Why so much generosity?

Well, ever since Victor Hugo published his novel Notre-Dame de Paris in 1831, the cathedral has moved the entire world.

That was almost 200 years ago.

Then the cathedral went from print to screen to stage.

The silent film Esmeralda came out in 1905, followed by many more famous films.

Disney made a cartoon character, Quasimodo.

Musicals were made about Notre Dame.

Today, Notre Dame appears in many games and shows.

People in every country are touched by Notre Dame.

Incredibly, we may never have known Notre Dame.

Since it was built in 1163, it has been the cathedral of records.

It has the highest vaults ever built, gigantic rows of windows, and a huge flying buttress.

When completed, it was the tallest building in the Christian world.

But after being a showcase of human genius, Notre Dame fell out of favor.

It fell out of fashion, cost too much, was vandalized by the French Revolution and became the temple of reason.