French President, Emmanuel Macron: Notre Dame de Paris is our history, our literature, or imagination, the place where we have lived all our great moments.
CNN Senior Producer: Around 13 million people visited each year before the 5blaze drawn by its 6exquisite works of art and priceless religious7 artifacts a 8masterful example of 9gothic architecture the project began under king Louis vii and took around 200 years to complete a site for religions state occasion and at one point 10monarchy, Henry VI of England was 11crowned King of France there in 1431. It was 12plunderedand partly destroyed during the French Revolution, renamed briefly as the Temple of Reason. It even set the stage for the 13coronation of Napoleon as emperor in 1804, a scene recorded in one of the Louvre's most celebrated paintings, one of countless works it's inspired, including literature like The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which helped motivate 14extensive renovations that added everything from the chimeras seen today to the spa that fell in 2019. Luckily, many of Notre Dame's treasures survived the fire.
Its bells were 15restored and recently rang again. 16A crown of thorns said to have been worn by Jesus was saved. Even the rooster, a French national symbol which 17sat atop the 18spire containing 19sacred 20relics, was rescued. Although now a 21reimagined bird, inspired by a phoenix rising from the ashes, sits 22fittingly in its place.