France, violent fire breaks out at Nantes' Gothic cathedral

The Gothic cathedral in Nantes, a large French city at the mouth of the Loire River, is burning. The serious fire, firefighters from the Loire-Atlantique department let it be known, broke out around 7:40 a.m. and was described as “major” by the firefighters themselves, who are currently working to try to tame it (as of mid-morning it was already contained). The fire involved the facade, enclosed between two tall towers, like Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

The fire affected the spot where the churchorgan is located. “The damage,” said Loire-Atlantique department fire director Laurent Ferlay, “is concentrated on the major organ, which seems to have been entirely destroyed. The platform on which it is situated is very unstable and threatens to collapse.”

The church has two organs: themajor organ, made between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries (the central part is from 1619, the work of Jacques Girardet, while the side parts are the work of Adrien Lépine dating back to 1768), and thechoral organ, which is the largest accompanying organ in France and dates from 1897 (it was made by Louis Debierre). During the bombings of World War II, both suffered heavy damage, and the major organ, which was rebuilt by the Beuchet-Debierre manufacture and inaugurated in 1971, was the main casualty.

The French prime minister, Jean Castex, sent a message of support to the people of Nantes and let it be known that he will visit the city along with Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin and Culture Minister Roselyne Bachelot. The president of the republic, Emmanuel Macron, also expressed “support for our firefighters who are taking all the risks to save this Gothic jewel.”

Nantes Cathedral, dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul, has had a very troubled history: construction began in 1434 and was finished in 1891, plus it was heavily bombed in 1944 and suffered another devastating fire in 1972, caused by a burning welder. Over the past seventy years, therefore, the building has undergone major restorations: after the 1972 fire, it had taken a full 13 years to reopen the building for worship.

France, violent fire breaks out at Nantes' Gothic cathedral

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.