Salma Hayek's husband will give 100 million euros to restore the burnt-down Notre Dame Cathedral

French billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault donated 100 million euros ($ 113 million) for the restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, where a strong fire occurred on the first day of Holy Week according to the Gregorian calendar. The flame was extinguished closer to morning.

The roof, spire and clock of the Gothic cathedral have collapsed, but the famous building will stand. French President Emmanuel Macron said that on Tuesday, April 16, a national campaign to raise funds for the restoration of the cathedral will be launched.

One of the first to respond to President Macron's call and publicly promised to provide support was the husband of Hollywood actress Salma Hayek, French billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault.Francois-Henri Pinault is one of the richest people in France. The Pinot family owns Artemis and Kering companies. The first belongs, among other things, to the auction house Christie's. Kering owns a number of fashion brands, including Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent.

The fire in the Gothic Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris, one of the most famous Christian churches in the world, began on the evening of April 15, the first day of Holy Week according to the Gregorian calendar.

According to preliminary data, the fire broke out during the repair work carried out on the upper levels of the building. Due to the fire, the spire and roof of the cathedral collapsed: the fire raged in the building for more than 9 hours.

The moment of the collapse of the spire

Firefighters arrived at the scene 10 minutes after the fire started, but they could not get close to the building due to its complex structure, and the stairs were too short to reach the burning spire. There could be no question of using helicopters to extinguish – a powerful stream of water could immediately destroy an ancient stone building due to the temperature difference.

The French had no choice but to watch the fire that devours 800 years of their history.

Fortunately, firefighters managed to save the frame of Notre Dame and the relics stored in it.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who visited the scene of the emergency, promised to restore the cathedral and asked for international assistance to restore the Paris landmark. Some charities have already announced fundraising for the restoration of Notre Dame.