Of course. The Frauenkirche in Dresden (while not as old as Notre Dame) was rebuilt basically from scratch a few years ago in record time [0]. Freiburg minster

Of course. The Frauenkirche in Dresden (while not as old as Notre Dame) was rebuilt basically from scratch a few years ago in record time [0]. Freiburg minster [1], which was completed around 1300, recently had a restoration of its spire (which took about 12 years), done with the original medieval technique of interlocking the stones with lead anchors. There is a very good 8 minute video about the work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egVOaTrRYZ4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egVOaTrRYZ4 Don't forget that big cathedrals have to be worked on constantly, so most of the European cathedrals have very old workshops attached to the church, where the knowledge was (and still is) passed down over centuries. These people usually have very strong opinions regarding craftsmanship and work quality. They don't want their colleagues in 250 years to think badly of them. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dresden_Frauenkirche https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dresden_Frauenkirche [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freiburg_Minster https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freiburg_Minster