Luxury goods groups LVMH and Kering pledge 300 million euros to rebuild Notre Dame cathedral

The fire that almost destroyed the 850-year-old Notre Dame cathedral in Paris has left many people around the world in shock. According to The New York Times, the Notre Dame cathedral was built “in the 12th and 13th centuries on the foundations of an earlier church and Roman ramparts on an island in the Seine, is a globally recognized symbol of France, visited by about 13 million people a year.”

 

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Notre-Dame cathedral, the iconic symbol of the beauty and history of Paris, is being scarred by an extensive fire that caused its delicate spire to collapse. Notre-Dame’s towers were saved, but two-thirds of the roof was destroyed. “The worst has been avoided,” President @EmmanuelMacron of France said. “I say to you very solemnly tonight, this cathedral, we will rebuild it.” He also praised the courage of the nearly 500 firefighters tackling the blaze. The cause of the fire remains unknown and no one was killed, but a firefighter was seriously injured, officials said. This is a developing story. Visit the link in our profile to read the latest updates.

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French president Emmanuel Macron has confirmed that the medieval cathedral will be rebuilt and announced that an international fundraising campaign will be launched, vowing to draw on "the best talent". Hollywood actor Salma Hayek’s husband Francois-Henri Pinault, has pledged to donate €100m to rebuild Notre Dame. Pinault is currently the CEO of Kering, which owns brands such as Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen and Balenciaga. “My father (Francois Pinault) and myself have decided to release a sum of €100 million from our Artemis funds (the family holding company) to participate in the effort that will be necessary for the complete reconstruction of Notre-Dame,” he said in an official statement. Following the Pinault's donation, French billionaire Bernard Arnault’s family and his LVMH luxury goods group are also donating €200m to the rescue fund. “The Arnault family and the LVMH group would like to show their solidarity at this time of national tragedy, and are joining up to help rebuild this extraordinary cathedral, which is a symbol of France, of its heritage and of French unity,” said the statement.

 

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"In the wake of this national tragedy, the Arnault family and the LVMH Group pledge their support for #NotreDame. They will donate a total of 200 million euros to the fund for reconstruction of this architectural work, which is an integral part of the history of France." _ #notredame #paris #lvmh

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