Among the relics saved, according to the mayor of Paris, was the Holy Crown of Thorns, which the Roman Catholic Church says was placed on Jesus' head before his crucifixion. Historians have called it the cathedral's equivalent of the crown jewels.
emergency responders also formed a human chain to salvage the Tunic of Saint Louis worn by King Louis IX during the Crusades, along with"several other major works."
In addition to the roof and the spire, authorities said flames spread to one of the cathedral's two rectangular towers. But Jean-Claude Gallet, the fire chief of Paris, said:"We now consider that the main structure of Notre Dame has been saved and preserved."In a statement, the Vatican called Notre Dame of Paris"a symbol of Christianity in France and across the world," saying it was shocked and saddened by the fire.
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