It remains unknown of much of the funds raised for restoration efforts will be used. According to CNN, 850 million euros ($928 million) was pledged by donors, while the Notre Dame Cathedral Foundation said they’ve collected 55.8 million euros ($60.9 million), as well as an additional 319 million euros ($348 million) in commitments from the Center des Monuments Nationaux and the Fondation de France.
The Notre Dame cathedral is located on an island in the center of the capital called the Île de la Cité, surrounded by the River Seine. The building was completed around 1260, but has been modified over the centuries.
The French Gothic structure is remarkable for its stained-glass rose window (which miraculously survived the fire), its flying buttresses and large spire. The latter collapsed after being consumed by flames. That spire replaced the original, which was damaged by wind and removed in the 18th century. The current one was made of oak covered with lead and weighed 750 tons.
Notre Dame was also the subject of Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which was made into a popular animated film by Disney in 1996.
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