A criminal motive was suspected, said Pierre Sennes, the Nantes public prosecutor, because the fire had three different starting points throughout the large cathedral, whose construction began in the 15th century but was not completed until four centuries later. “After Notre Dame, Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul cathedral, in the heart of Nantes, is in flames,” said President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday, in a statement posted on Twitter. ADThe immediate damage to Nantes Cathedral was not as severe as that to Notre Dame, which lost most of its roof and will require years to repair. The French government announced last week that Notre Dame — especially its spire — would be constructed exactly as it was before. “The damage is concentrated on the large organ, which seems to be completely destroyed,” Laurent Ferlay, the director general of the Nantes fire department, told reporters.

Source: Washington Post July 18, 2020 09:47 UTC