Thread: Notre Dame cathedral in Paris engulfed by devastating fire

The lesson from the ruins of Notre Dame:
don’t rely on billionaires

https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...h-philanthropy

Barely has the fire been put out before some of the richest people in France rush to help rebuild it. From François-Henri Pinault, the ultimate owner of Gucci, comes €100m (£90m). Not to be outdone, the Arnault family at Louis Vuitton put up €200m. More of the wealthy join the bidding, as if a Damien Hirst is going under the hammer. Within just three days, France’s billionaire class has coughed up nearly €600m. Or so their press releases state.

Weeks go by, then months, and Notre Dame sees nothing from the billionaires. The promises of mid-April seem to have been forgotten by mid-June. “The big donors haven’t paid. Not a cent,” a senior official at the cathedral tells journalists. Far humbler sums are sent in, from far poorer individuals. “Beautiful gestures,” says one charity executive, but hardly les grands prix.

That prompts a newswire story, after which two of the wealthy donors, the Arnault and Pinault families, stump up €10m each. Followed by silence. Questions I put this week to the various donors and charities went largely unanswered. (Perhaps their offices are busy or emptied out by the summer holidays.)

Originally Posted by TizMe

Perhaps their offices are busy or emptied out by the summer holidays.

I'd post 'this' if I were a bit of a wanker.

But yeah, the rich having no values.

News.

Originally Posted by cyrille

But yeah, the rich having no values.

Wondering that this you have understood what all the show was about?

Pity that you did not get the connexion to my post above #47, redding me angrily.

Other similar disastrous damages - however of not so spectacular cathedrals but sometimes of more value - had been left without an outrage of "international community"...

Good bump Dave, i'd forgotten about this.

^ New MOD in action ...go Syb

Originally Posted by cyrille

if there's something only very tangentially (to put it politely) related to the topic

Perhaps you just woke up from winter hibernation???

And speaking of topic: (???)

Originally Posted by cyrille

I'd post 'this' if I were a bit of a wanker.

But yeah, the rich having no values.

News.

More than a year since the Notre-Dame cathedral fire, authorities have decided how it will be rebuilt



President Emmanuel Macron promised after the fire to rebuild Notre-Dame within five years.

It presented architects with a once-in-a-generation opportunity.

Christophe Girard, deputy mayor for culture in Paris, said the Gothic masterpiece must be painstakingly restored to its former glory.

France's chief architect of historical sites, Philippe Villeneuve, insisted the spire be rebuilt exactly as before.

That drew a strong rebuke from the French army general, who told Mr Villeneuve in a National Assembly committee meeting to "shut his mouth".

"As for the chief architect, I have already explained that he should shut his mouth," General Jean-Louis Georgelin said to gasps of astonishment.

But after months of deliberating, the commission in charge of the decision announced on Thursday (local time) that the centuries-old cathedral will be rebuilt just as it was before.

The national heritage and architectural commission have approved plans to restore the cathedral to its last "complete, coherent and known" state, including the spire, the restoration body said in a statement.

More than a year since the Notre-Dame cathedral fire, authorities have decided how it will be rebuilt - ABC News

Bit of a weak article, they quote General Jean-Louis Georgelin but don't tell you who he is or why his opinion matters. General Jean-Louis Georgelin is a former Chief of Staff and has been appointed by Macron as the Head of the rebuilding project.