The images are terrible, the extent of the damage still unknown. This Saturday, July 18th, in the morning, the photographs posted on the social networks testify to a violent fire to the interior of the cathedral of Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul of Nantes.

A terrible fire is ravaging currently the cathedral of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in #Nantes. Thank you to the firefighters who are currently battling the flames and make all their possible to save Our Lady of Nantes �������� pic.twitter.com/ZIVJz6muBB

— Pierre-Louis Delauney (@pldelauney) July 18, 2020

" The fire is not under control, it is under attack. It is a major fire, " said the Centre's operational departmental fire and rescue services (Codis) at the Agence France-Presse, adding that the fire department had been alerted at 7: 44, and 60 firefighters were dispatched to the scene. "We struggle in particular with the aid of two spears on the fire," he added.

The fire brigade arrive on-site pic.twitter.com/KQHsuONkwb

Valentine's day Bourdaud (@ValBourdaud) July 18, 2020

The cathedral already devastated by a fire in 1972

This is not the first time that this cathedral in the heart of Nantes is affected by a fire. On January 28, 1972, the roof of the gothic cathedral of Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul, built between the Fifteenth and the Nineteenth century, had been ravaged by the flames. The claim was said to be the result of work done by a roofer.

The cathedral of Nantes had been made to worship, in may 1985, after more than 13 years of work. In 2015, still in Nantes, another catholic edifice had been hit by a fire spectacular which had destroyed three-quarters of the roof of the basilica of St. Donatien and St. Rogatien, a religious building of the Nineteenth century.

firefighters were quickly visited the site and a important device has been deployed, a thick smoke is emitting from the monument. Sixty soldiers of the fire are mobilized and a fifteen machines and two spears.