The full extent of the destruction of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, surely the most beloved of all Gothic buildings, will not be known for some time, but for world culture it is a catastrophe. The mighty timber frame of the roof, a prodigy of 13th-century carpentry, is a complete loss. So too the elegant open spire over the crossing, that essential feature of the Paris skyline (although an addition by Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc, who restored the cathedral in the 19th century). Many will have been surprised to learn...

Source: Wall Street Journal April 15, 2019 23:03 UTC