In France, one of the most iconic places to visit is the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Currently, the cathedral was under a well needed $180 million renovation when a fire broke out in the building. The fire lasted for 12 hours and no one is sure yet what caused the fire exactly. Ironically, this is the beginning of Holy Week for Catholics.

The fire started in the evening of Monday, April 15 in the wooden attic of the church, but currently, investigators are looking for the source of the fire. The famous spire of the church and a good amount of the roof collapsed, but the two towers are still intact. The famous rose windows, the famous organ, and the main bell are all safe with the main towers at the front still intact.  Most of the artifacts that the cathedral had are safe and were moved to one of Paris’ most famous museums, the Louvre. No officers or firefighters were killed.

Construction for the original building started in 1163 and opened in 1345 and is currently 856 years old. The building is more popular than the Eiffel Tower and visited more than the Eiffel Tower with about 13 million per year.

The people of France and many around the world are deeply upset about the fire. The President of France, Emmanuel Macron vowed to rebuild the cathedral, and the billionaire Pinault family of France pledged 100 million euros ($113 million) to the rebuilding effort. Others are also giving money for the reconstruction of the beloved cathedral.

Many people and celebrities took to Twitter and Instagram to show their support for France, but the most striking thing that has happened would have to be a video that shows Parisian bystanders on the streets helplessly watching the fire and singing “Ave Maria” and praying for the church to be okay during Holy Week for Catholics.

Hopefully, the building will be restored to its glory once again, and visitors can continue to come and enjoy the beauty of the building.