Historical monuments fires
Individuals, wealthy people along with French and foreign companies have provided contributions, some of which amount to several hundred million dollars.
According to Robert Read, head of Lloyd’s Art Department, the cost of the refurbishment of Notre Dame in Paris could reach 8 billion USD. In fact, given the complexity of the file, it is still too early to comment on any reconstruction figure. The cost of the renovation shall probably be announced after several months of thorough study.
Like the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, several other historical buildings have witnessed similar events. These monuments, which were accidentally or deliberately destroyed by fire, could be rebuilt from scratch after years of intensive work. Immersion in the history of these renovations.
List of historical monuments fires *
| Monument | Date of event | Geographical position | Circumstances of the event | Reconstruction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Artemis Temple | 356 BC | Selçuk, Turkey | Dedicated to the goddess of hunting, this must-see monument of the Greek empire was deliberately set on fire by Erostrate (1) in 356 BC. | Two decades later, Alexander the Great (2) ordered the reconstruction of the temple. |
| The Capitol | 69 AD | Rome, Italy | The Capitol was completely destroyed by the flames during the civil war between the supporters of Vitellius (3) and those of Vespasian (4) who sought refuge in the religious center. | Vespasian, winner of the war, ordered the building's reconstruction six years later, in 75 AD. |
| The Doge's Palace and Saint Mark's Basilica | 976 AD | Venezia, Italy | The religious building and the ducal palace were set on fire by the people protesting against the doge of Venice. The latter hid with his family in the Basilica. | The church was completely rebuilt in 1060. The operation lasted 40 years. |
| Globe Theatre | 1613 | London,UK | The famous theatre, a landmark of the English culture where William Shakespeare's Hamlet was performed, accidentally burned on June 29, 1613. | The building was reconstructed and reopened a year later. |
| Westminster Palace | 1834 | London,UK | The seat of the British Parliament in London burst into flames. The chapel was damaged. Many historical documents were destroyed. The painted room, an artistic jewel of medieval times, was completely destroyed. The fire had started from the boilers in the basement of the Palace. | The reconstruction of the building began in 1840. It took more than 20 years to complete the restoration. |
| Strasbourg Cathedral | 1870 | Strasbourg, France | The choir, the crossing tower and the cross of the cathedral arrow were destroyed by bombardments during the Franco-German conflict. | The reconstruction works started in 1871 until 1939. |
| Reims Cathedral | 1914 | Reims, France | The monument was heavily damaged by a shell during WWI | The reconstruction period lasted for 20 years. The monument was reopened in 1938. |
| Reichstag building | 1933 | Berlin, Germany | The building housing the assembly of the German empire was set on fire. The identity of the arsonist or arsonists was subject to several debates. | The restoration started in 1961. It ended 12 years later in1973. |
| Saint-Pierre Cathedral | 1972 | Nantes, France | The building was being restored when the fire broke out | The restoration lasted for 13 years |
| Windsor Castle | 1992 | England | The monument, one of the residences of the English royal family, was partially destroyed by fire. The fire started from a wall hangings in contact with a halogen lamp. A dozen living rooms and a hundred rooms were charred. | The restoration cost reached 60 million USD. The reconstruction ended in 1997. |
| La Fenice Theatre in Venezia | 1836 and 1996 | Venezia, Italy | The theatre first burned in 1836 and reopened in 1837. In 1996, this temple of lyrical art was again destroyed by acts of arson. | The restoration started in 2001. The theatre reopened in 2003. |
| The National Museum of Brazil | 2018 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | The main building of the bicentennial monument was destroyed by fire after a malfunction of the air conditioning. The museum housed more than 20 million works and unique collections from Latin America. Dinosaur bones, mummies, fossils, archives… all burst into flames | The museum might reopen by 2021 or 2022. |
(1) Unknown figure became famous after arsoning the temple of Artemis.
(2) King of Macedonia and one of the most famous figures of ancient times.
(3) Eighth Roman emperor from April 19th to December 22nd of the year 69 AD.
(4) Roman Emperor, founder of the Flavian dynasty, Roman emperors dynasty, reigning over the Empire from 69 to 96 AD.
(5) Leader of the Republic of Venezia.
* Non-exhaustive list.
