There has been speculation about arson as the possible cause of the fire, and discussions appear to have intensified after the 2020 fire that destroyed Nantes Cathedral, and was later confirmed to be an arson crime. The reconstruction of Notre Dame de Paris is still in progress and has led to some important discoveries. On Monday, the French Ministry of Culture announced that archaeologists had found several tombs and a 14th-century sarcophagus – “of outstanding scholarly quality”, as well as pieces of painted carvings believed to be part of the original decorations.
The fire of April 15, 2019 came as a huge shock to not only Parisians but to many people around the world, as the medieval Notre-Dame de Paris is one of the most famous buildings in the world. By April 22, donations of over 1 billion euros had been pledged to rebuild the cathedral following an appeal by French President Emmanuel Macron.
It was feared amid the fire that the cathedral would be completely destroyed, but it survived despite being severely damaged. The full restoration process is expected to take about twenty years and involve enormous costs.