Measuring the architectural loss of the Notre Dame fire
While countless workers contributed to the building of the 850-year-old cathedral, every architectural detail refers back to a single overarching design concept.
But, during its construction, there was also considerable scope for individual expression through the structure’s many ornamental carvings.
Their variety provokes almost unfathomable levels of interest, while offering invaluable insight into the way people thought, felt and worked during a crucial period in European history. This playfulness and richness of expression has long been recognized as one of the great hallmarks of Gothic architecture.
Find out more about this historic work of architecture, and why its loss is so tragic, here
1 hr 4 min ago
What makes Notre Dame so iconic?
The central Paris cathedral, which celebrated its 850th anniversary in 2013, took 182 years to build -- construction began in the 12th century and was completed in the 13th century -- and can hold more than 6,000 worshipers.
Notre Dame was badly damaged during the French Revolution, and was restored by architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc in the 19th century. It is known for its enormous stained glass windows, among other remarkable architectural details.
Eyewitness: Watching Paris icon burn was 'heartbreaking'
Cathy Widawska, who has lived in Paris for 15 years, told CNN that she was walking along the Rue de Rivoli, in the city center near City Hall, when she saw "a little smoke" come from the roof of the cathedral.
She said that she and other Parisians were finding it "very hard today -- (Notre Dame is a) very important monument... it’s very heartbreaking."
"It’s not just about the church, it’s a monument, the identity of people here. It’s the heart and soul of Paris. It’s very hard to see it (burn down)."
"I never thought it would be such a huge fire," she said. "Around 15-20 minutes later, when we could see the flames, it was a very aggressive fire, and when the iconic spire collapsed, it was very hard, everyone who was standing there knew it was very serious."
She said that when she first saw the blaze, her first thought was that it was a terror attack.
"Everyone was terrified, we didn’t really know what was happening." Authorities have since said that they are working under the assumption that the blaze was unintentional.
Widawska told CNN's Don Lemon that it was devastating to see the damage wrought on the centuries-old structure.
"Everyone was very sad, people started to cry, it was a very emotional moment," she said.
"It was like losing someone, you have seen on the faces of people it was like fear and sadness, they know something very bad was happening."
1 hr 43 min ago
Former FDNY deputy chief: Churches are particularly vulnerable to fire
Retired FDNY deputy chief Jim Bullock told CNN’s Don Lemon that churches, particularly cathedrals, are especially susceptible to fires.
"It’s old wood that is dry and burns fast, and there’s a lot of wood in that building," he said of the Notre Dame Cathedral, which was ravaged by a huge fire Monday.
"Churches have their own problem, especially large cathedrals," he said. "There's a large open-air space, so there's lots of air to feed the fire (along with) a lot of combustible stuff in the ceiling. And once (the fire's) in the ceiling it's hard to get up there -- it could be 300 feet in the air."
He says that as there were renovations underway in the 850-year-old church, some artifacts had been removed from the building, meaning that fewer relics may have been lost than might otherwise have been the case.
1 hr 53 min ago
Travelers share their memories of Notre Dame
Travelers from all over the world shared cherished memories of their visits to one of the most beloved religious structures in the world with CNN.
One visitor, Natalie Esparza, 35, from Detroit, first went to the world-famous building in 2000 and was "absolutely spellbound."
"Outside of its religious connotations, it stands for the progress of man. Its lasting historical value to what we can accomplish in our artistic and mathematical endeavors will not be matched."
Another visitor, 64-year-old Rona Moody, from Scotland, first came in 1974 to celebrate the end of her freshman year of college. She was inspired by the art inside the cathedral, and is now a stained glass artist in Pennsylvania.
2 hr 14 min ago
Some firefighters standing down at Notre Dame
Some of the 400 firefighters who had been deployed to fight the massive blaze at Notre Dame Cathedral are leaving, to applause from the gathered crowds, according to CNN's Nic Robertson, who is on site at the devastated cathedral.
It is thought that the fire, which broke out Monday evening, was started unintentionally, Robertson said. There is renovation work going on at the 850-year-old church, but it is not clear if the fire was connected to the renovation work.