On Monday, April 15, a fire broke out at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, with the blaze collapsing the building’s iconic spire and causing extensive damage.
The cathedral is one of the most iconic buildings in the world, attracting 13 million visitors yearly. For those who haven’t visited, or those who have and want to relive the experience, 360 VISIO shared an immersive 360-degree look at the inside of the cathedral, which gives viewers the smallest glimpse of the sheer size and grandeur of the inside of the building.
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The 360-degree tour offers a look at the inside of Notre Dame, with rows of seats placed on the checkered floor and surrounded by ornate pillars that hold up sweeping arches. A look up shows the carved vaulted ceilings, and the altar can be seen in the distance. Stained glass windows and chandeliers only add to the building’s grandeur, including the famous rose windows, which can be seen in the back of the cathedral flanking the Great Organ.
Construction on Notre Dame began in 1163 and was completed in 1345, instantly becoming a pillar of Gothic architecture. During the French Revolution, the building was damaged, later undergoing renovations from 1844 to 1864. The building is the most visited monument in Europe and houses numerous religious artifacts and other works of art, several of which were saved after the blaze began.
Rescued artifacts include the Crown of Thorns, believed to have been worn by Jesus Christ on the cross, the Tunic of Saint Louis, which is said to have belonged to King Louis IX, and other works. The artifacts will be transferred to the Louvre Museum for safekeeping. The fate of other items, including a fragment of the True Cross, the cross that Jesus was crucified on, and one of the Holy Nails, believed to be from that cross, is unclear.
The fire broke out on Monday evening and was officially declared out on Tuesday morning, CBS News reports. An investigation is underway into the cause of the fire, though investigators are reportedly leaning towards the fire having been an accident. The blaze is believed to have started in the attic or on the roof of Notre Dame, which was covered in scaffolding as part of an extensive renovation.
The public prosecutor for Paris, Remy Heitz, said on Tuesday that investigators are “favoring the theory of an accident” and that around 50 people are taking part in a “long” and “complex” investigation into the fire.
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