When was the Notre Dame spire built as it collapses during cathedral fire?
(Photo: Ludovic Marin,Geoffroy Van Der Hasselt/AFP/Getty Images) The Notre Dame spire was one of th..
The Notre Dame spire was one of the main casualties of the fire that destroyed parts of the cathedral last night.
Onlookers watched as it collapsed in the blaze and was destroyed, followed by large parts of the roof.
Firefighters were finally able to extinguish the flames this morning after battling throughout the night to prevent any more damage to the historic building.
The cause of the fire is not yet known although detectives have suggested that it could be linked to the renovation work that is currently being carried out.
Much like the cathedral itself, the spire has a long history and had already been removed on one occasion after being damaged by the weather across several centuries.
When was the Notre Dame spire built?
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The original spire on top of the cathedral was built during the 13th century, with most historians estimating it to have been at some point during the 1220s.
It remained up for around 500 years but the wind and weather during that time led to the spire becoming unstable and eventually it became bent and damaged.
This led to it being removed completed in 1786, and it was until the 19th century that it was rebuilt.
French architects Eugene Viollet-le-Duc and Jean-Baptiste Lassus were the two men chosen to restore the cathedral in 1844.