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Many of these wooden structures are nearly 1,000 years old. The spire itself only dates from the 19th century.
by isostatic 8y ago
Many of these wooden structures are nearly 1,000 years old. The spire itself only dates from the 19th century.
- smn1234 8y agois that accurate? https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-europe-47942176 https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-europe-47942176 suggests the spire dates back to 12th century whereas Wikipedia suggests, to your point, that it was recreated in the 19th century: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre-Dame_de_Paris#Towers_and_the_Spire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre-Dame_de_Paris#Towers_and...
- rodelrod 8y agoThe old spire was taken down after the Revolution because it was in bad state and in danger of falling over the structure. A new one was built in the big mid-19th restoration of Viollet-le-Duc. Source, the chief architect of the current restoration works in this very interesting video tour (in French): https://www.facebook.com/lemonde.fr/videos/10155299594692590/ https://www.facebook.com/lemonde.fr/videos/10155299594692590...
- seanmcdirmid 8y agoDoes wood really last that long? I know ancient Japanese wooden temples are basically rebuilt every 30 years or so, a constant renewal akin to the Ship of Theseus. Are European wooden structures similarly renewed?
- fhars 8y agoThere are still some 12th century wooden churches in Norway that still have most of the original wood: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stave_church#Old_stave_churches https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stave_church#Old_stave_churche...
- mveety 8y agoWood, if properly taken care of and kept dry, will last basically forever. I’d imagine they do that in Japan because of humidity or so.
- CydeWeys 8y agoThey do it in Japan because they choose to. Rebuilding it every generation is a religious ritual tied closely to Shintoism. The buildings certainly aren't rotting out completely over that short timeframe! Many Americans live in wooden houses that are much older than that. The biggest problem tends to be termites.
- bdamm 8y agoHere's a 1200-yr old wooden church: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greensted_Church https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greensted_Church Protected from fungus (rot) and insects, wood can last indefinitely. How to achieve that, of course, varies widely.
- jbay808 8y agoOnly one temple in Japan is continuously rebuilt. Many others are several centuries old.