Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Francois-Henri Pinault has already pledged 100 million euros to rebuilding.
So have the Arnaults.
But is frustrating as a French person that the money wasn’t raised before now. Perhaps they did donate before but I’ve been solicited countless times in the last decade after permanently moving to the US to help raise money in the US because the French couldn’t raise the $200 million it initially needed to restore it. The poor Notre Dame has been in disrepair for a long time, it’s very expensive to maintain and there is not a charge to visit it so they don’t raise money from admissions. The repairs have been delayed because of lack of funds and these current renovations were very small in comparison to what needed to be entirely done. But previously the French government and the Catholic Church didn’t have enough money and they couldn’t raise enough money within France so they purposefully came to the US as Americans have a reputation of being more charitable. Even Macron came to NYC, DC and LA to fundraise because he couldn’t get it from the French.
I am glad my fellow French citizens are stepping up but there isn’t a lesson to be learned here that it is important to preserve historical landmarks, monuments, art, and items of cultural significance. Please don’t wait until it’s too late and just think someone else will get to it. Sigh.