Just a point in clarification: when you say antique, that means mid 19th century. The original 13th century spire was removed in 1786 because it was falling apart.
Apologies, I wasn't using 'antique' in a quantitative fashion, simply trying to convey that it was aged and dry.
With that said, I was referring specifically to the carpentry in the roof itself, which dates before the spire itself.
The smell of the roof space was incredible - deep, wooden and wise.
André Finot, the spokesperson of Notre-Dame de Paris, announced soon after the fire was known that the roof's wood frame was doomed. This frame was in two parts: one side from oak beams of the 13th century, the other half from the 19th. Of course, the spire was in later part, since it was built by Viollet-Le-Duc.
To prevent fire, there was no electricity wires in attic, because the oak beams were extremely dry.
> when you say antique, that means mid 19th century
Where is that coming from?
I don't see any definitions that constrains antique to a specific time window, some definitions/laws include "at least 100 years old"
Antique: a work of art, piece of furniture, or decorative object made at an earlier period and according to various customs laws at least 100 years ago
They meant that antique means "only" 19th century in this case because that's when the spire was installed. It's not as antique as the rest of the cathedral.
