The Notre-Dame de Paris had been damaged and changed many times since it was begun in the mid-12th century. But the April 15 fire might have been its most catastrophic event.
Located on the eastern end of the Ile-de-la-Cité, an island on the Seine River, the site was a Christian church since the fourth century. And, for a long time, it remained a powerful symbol of church authority. Even today, it is the seat of the archbishop of Paris.
As a scholar of Gothic architecture, I have studied how this and other buildings were continuously adapted to reflect changing architectural fashion and to enhance the spiritual experience of the visitor.