A Forest Fire in the Loft of Notre Dame

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The upper regions of the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris were a veritable forest of ancient oak beams, an immense stack of tinder just waiting for a spark to set off the great conflagration. That’s why no electric wires were run into the loft — to reduce the chance of fire.

The following video clip is an excerpt from a documentary about Notre Dame that aired last year. Many thanks to MissPiggy for the translation, and to Vlad Tepes for the subtitling:


Video link

Video transcript:

00:00   Phillip Villeneuve takes us 300 steps higher above the heart of the nave. Into Notre Dame’s frame.
00:10   An area not accessible to the public, without electricity to prevent fire.
00:19   The odor announces to us that everything here is made of wood.
00:37   Notre Dame’s framework of beams is like a forest. Yes, it is a mythical place, it is like a dream.
00:43   It is a treasure of the 12th and 13th centuries that is still intact.
00:48   Why do you call it a forest? —Because an enormous amount of oak was used here.
00:53   The amount corresponds to a forest and so that’s we refer to it as the forest.
00:57   That means there are still beams here from the 12th century? — Of course.
01:00   Yes there are. That’s it exactly. This is what makes the framework of Notre Dame of Paris a
01:04   huge treasure and of great interest. And then you also have the Viollet-le-Duc, which is a spire that
01:09   fascinates any carpenter, journeyman or architect. They dream of this spire. They dream of seeing it.
01:13   You just have to come see it.
01:20   The Viollet-le-Duc is a feat of genius from 1859, an adornment resting on these beams. The spire.
 

2 thoughts on “A Forest Fire in the Loft of Notre Dame”

  1. On Krystalnact, many hundreds of synagogues we burnt down, one might call it the opening gambit of the holocaust

    This time it is Christian Churches – think about it – To where are you going to flee?

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