Philippe Villeneuve
👤 PersonAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
The altar was crushed.
But the large golden cross was in the background.
The statue of Virgin of the Pillar, Notre Dame de Paris, seemed untouched.
Through a hole in the vault, molten lead had flowed into the end of the crest of the Pieta.
That evening, I found the rooster that had crashed on the section of the roof.
It escaped destruction.
It had miraculously come off its axis when the spire collapsed.
At that moment, I felt a determination that removed all doubt.
It gave me a power and strength I didn't know I had.
I always loved Notre Dame.
I visited for the first time at age seven.
I loved the symphony of stone and the harmony of light.
For me, architecture and music became one that day.
When I was 16, I saw an exhibition of the architect Viollet-le-Duc.
From that day, I wanted to become chief architect of Historical Monuments Society.
And why not?
One day, become the architect of Notre-Dame.
The dream came true in 2013, but six years later, in 2019, it became a nightmare.
On that evening, on April 5,
I made up my mind to fight for Notre-Dame.