French authorities are investigating a fire that broke out in the famed Gothic cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul in the city of Nantes.
French President Emmanuel Macron called the cathedral a “Gothic jewel” and praised the work of firefighters who managed to subdue the fire before it engulfed the entire structure.
“After Notre-Dame, St. Peter and St. Paul Cathedral, in the heart of Nantes, is in flames,” Macron tweeted, according to a Google translation. “Support for our firefighters who take all the risks to save this Gothic jewel of the city of the Dukes.”
Après Notre-Dame, la cathédrale Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul, au cœur de Nantes, est en flammes. Soutien à nos sapeurs-pompiers qui prennent tous les risques pour sauver ce joyau gothique de la cité des Ducs.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) July 18, 2020
Video of the fire quickly made the rounds on social media as people pointed out the striking similarity to Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, whose roof and spire were burned to the ground in 2019.
“The damage is concentrated on the great organ which appears to be completely destroyed,” said Laurent Ferlay, the head of the firefighters in the Loire Atlantique area. “The platform on which it is located is very unstable and risks collapsing.”
The cathedral, which was completed in 1891, was built over the course of five centuries. Nantes Mayor Johanna Rolland said the fire was not as bad as one in 1971, when the blaze destroyed much of the wooden structure of the building.
“It is a part of our history, a part of our heritage,” Rolland told reporters on Saturday.
