France agonises over the fire that devastated Notre Dame

THE CATHEDRAL of Notre Dame is a “majestic and sublime edifice”, a “vast symphony in stone”, wrote Victor Hugo. “Every surface, every stone of this venerable pile, is a page of the history not only of the country, but of science and of art.” The devastating fire that broke out on April 15th, and destroyed much of the gothic cathedral’s wood-timbered roof and spire, stunned and distressed the French with a force that far exceeded the building’s religious significance. As the flames engulfed the roof, President Emmanuel Macron spoke for many across France when he tweeted that he was witnessing “part of us burn”.

Why has the fire at Notre Dame stirred such emotion in France? In a city of broad vistas and stolen glimpses, it serves as a fixed point for Parisians; a stable presence that emerges reliably into view, like a much-loved aunt, from bridges across the river Seine. Visited by 13m tourists a year, the cathedral has been the backdrop to countless expressions of awe and romance, as well as been-there selfies. Locals may be riled by the narcissistic crowds, but are proud of what draws them. The 850-year-old cathedral is a national landmark that offers something particular: a form of timelessness, drama and spirituality, to set against the modernity and engineering prowess of the Eiffel Tower.

On the night, as...