On Monday, as the final trickle of tourists left the Notre Dame Cathedral, smoke was seen coming from its famous spire. Within minutes, flames were wrapped around the medieval structure which sits in the center of Paris.

The spire has collapsed, and much of the wooden interior is said to be destroyed, but it's unclear how much damage the fire has caused. A few days earlier, 16 of the copper structures surrounding the base of Notre Dame were removed as part of a multi-million dollar restoration project. The building, which attracts nearly 13 million visitors per year, has undergone renovations throughout its millennium-old history.

"[A]s if to celebrate the death of the Dark Ages, the church of Our Lady of