Our Lady. After eight centuries, its two massive towers stand guard over Paris. For 160 years, its spire dominates the Ile de la Cité. Since always, it arouses the admiration for the architectural performance that it manifested, for the bet’s crazy that threw its designers. The old lady, whose history and legend overlap with those of France, has crossed it: the wars, the revolutions, the ravages of time, the upgrades are more or less happy. Still standing. Until that beautiful day of the 15 April 2019, which ends.

Here is our selection of the photos that will remain in the memories in the wake of this tragedy still unexplained for several days after.

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It is 19: 30 and in the heart of Paris is burning. HO/AFP

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During the fire, the silence of the crowd was impressive. Only the sirens of the firefighters tore through the crackling of the flames. Boivin Samuel/ Jones Samuel/ABACA

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After you have attempted to fight the fire inside, the fire fighters have retreated and address then to the furnace from the top of their nacelles. GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT/AFP

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At the heart of the blaze, here’s the spire of wood and lead of Viollet-le-Duc. It was in restoration since last summer. BENOIT TESSIER/REUTERS

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Shortly before 20 hours, the structure of 750 tons sold. The cock that dominated Paris at more than 90 metres will be found. Dented but still with its precious relics. GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT/AFP

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Parisians have remained incredulous to the unimaginable. The hours passed and nothing seemed to stop the fire. © Stéphane Lagoutte / MYOP/© Stéphane Lagoutte / MYOP

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In this spring night, which opens holy Week, the choir of the cathedral was illuminated with a light destructive.

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Blondet Eliot/Eliot Blondet/ABACA From afar, the city seemed peaceful. The quiet of the Île de la Cité is explained first by the evacuation of all its inhabitants. Marechal Aurore/Aurore Marechal/ABACA

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All night, a huge crowd remained collected on the bridges, on the quays of the left bank, place de l Hotel de Ville to follow the fight of the firemen. PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP

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In the tilt of the portals, the fire fighters quickly found a rain of embers, ash and lead-free incandescent.
Denis Meyer / Hans Lucas/Denis Meyer / Hans Lucas, The heaven became hell: the vault collapsed let appear the fire that ravaged the roof.
PHILIPPE WOJAZER/AFP In this huge ship of stone, wood and metal, the battle of the fire was as uneven. They will come to the rescue of the two bell towers that posed a threat to the flames. Freindorf Ania/Freindorf Ania/ABACA

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The image captured by a drone showed the magnitude of the destruction.
-/AFP On the morning of Tuesday 16 April, the Parisians saw their Our Lady bruised, but still standing.
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ZAKARIA ABDELKAFI/AFP Via-holes gaping, the day rushing in the bowels of the cathedral.
Daily Mail/Daily Mail/Solo Syndication/ABACA through the dust and the fumaroles, the high altar of Notre-Dame appears. Miraculously intact.
PHILIPPE WOJAZER/AFP Seen from the sky, the damage is considerable: the roof and its frame are gone, the vault collapsed in several places, elements of several tons are threatening.
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Saturday, April 20, the minister of Culture, Franck Riester said that the cathedral was “almost saved”. “All the sensitive points that remain – the gable north, gable western, between the two belfries of the façade, the belfry south that threatened -all of these points have been secured, stabilized, and it is a terrific news”, he said. “Remains in the vault. There are a few points still sensitive on the vault and therefore the teams of the ministry of Culture, the companies are working to remove the rubble that are still on the vault and the cover gradually. And from there, we can say that Our Lady of Paris is saved”, he added in the court of the Invalides, in the centre of Paris, which was hosting a grand concert., in the course of which dozens of artists have succeeded one another on stage.

see also – of Our Lady: three elements that threaten to collapse – Look on Figaro Live
Daily Mail/Daily Mail/Solo Syndication/ABACA