All the paintings, many of them dating back to the 14th century, that were housed at the incinerated Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris have been spared from the flames, France’s culture minister said on Friday (April 19). Franck Riester said the paintings “have not been damaged,” adding that the pieces only need to be wiped up of dust and dried out.
Trucks transporting the biggest paintings in the iconic monument arrived on Friday morning, and Riester said the recovery operations for the entirety of the pieces should conclude within the day.
Some 90% of the priceless relics and art works housed within the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral were saved from Monday’s (April 15) devastating fire as contingency plans to evacuate the treasures worked, leading insurance adjuster Michel Honore had said on Wednesday (April 17).
Riester said workers are waiting for firemen to secure the church’s arches, which are still filled with gravel and burned beams, before the last remaining treasures stored at the cathedral vault could be recovered.
