Notre Dame Cathedral craftsmanship no longer exists in modern times, historian says
The knowledge handed down from generation to generation that is considered a jewel of medieval Gothic architecture represented in the Notre Dame Cathedral is no longer known in our modern-day world, according to presidential historian Doug Wead.
“That arch as you go in the opening door—it took 100 years to build that arch,” he explained during an interview with FOX Business’ Trish Regan Monday. “The craftsmen who did that work no longer exist. That craft does not exist. Those craftsmen would spend their whole life—teach their son, who would teach their son, so three generations—it took one hundred years—just to build that arch.”
Wead notes that much of American culture is rooted in France, especially with the current use of the terms “Right” and “Left” to denote political leaning.
“We’re well-aware of our Anglo heritage, but the French heritage… the Ile de le Cite is this little island that Notre Dame is on and the Seine River splits on either side of it—on the Left Bank were the Leftists; on the Right Bank were the Louvre, the Palace, and the right-wingers—that’s where that political term comes from—Left and Right,” he said.
Firefighters on Monday battled the massive blaze that engulfed the 850-year-old cathedral. A spokesman said 80 percent of the artifacts inside of Notre Dame have been saved, but that it could be several years before the cathedral is reopened to the public. The church’s twin bell towers, grand entry, and famous stained-glass rose windows were saved.
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Investigations into the cause of the fire are still ongoing and the Paris prosecutors’ office is treating the incident as an accident, ruling out terror-related motives. French President Emmanuel Macron has pledged to rebuild and hundreds of millions of dollars in donations have already been pledged to help in the reconstruction efforts.