On Sunday, November 2, a fire broke out at an ancient monastery in the Ardennes region of France, despite the blaze being brought under control after several hours, the nearly thousand-year-old cultural heritage site was almost completely destroyed. The cause of the fire is currently unknown.
According to reports from Agence France-Presse (AFP), the monastery known as “Mont-Dieu” is located in a remote area in the dense forests of the Ardennes region in northeastern France and was classified as a historical monument in France in 1946.
The mayor of the nearby village of Tannay-le-Mont-Dieu, Anne Fraipont, expressed deep sorrow over the loss of the building, once renowned as the “Ardennes Cathedral”, which has now been reduced to ashes.
She said, “The structure used a lot of wood, and now the wooden interior has basically turned to ashes, the roof is gone, the floor is burnt, only remnants of walls are left.”
Fraipont pointed out that the fire was first noticed by hikers passing by in the morning, who immediately alerted the authorities upon seeing thick smoke billowing from the monastery.
The Ardennes Fire and Rescue Department stated that firefighters rushed to the scene at 10 a.m. and after several hours of battling the blaze, it was mostly under control by 4 p.m., but there were still some remaining fires to be dealt with.
Rescue personnel warned that the building suffered severe damage, and there is a “risk of collapse” for the monastery.
Fortunately, authorities confirmed that there were no art treasures stored inside the monastery at the time of the fire, thus avoiding direct loss of cultural property.
The Mont-Dieu monastery was founded in 1130 and underwent reconstruction in the 17th century, surviving multiple wars and changing eras. During the French Revolution, the monks were forced to flee the area, leading to the gradual abandonment of the monastery. Now, this important relic witnessing France’s medieval religious and architectural history is on the brink of disappearing due to the fire.
Local government officials stated that the cause of the fire is still under investigation and they will assess the possibility of partially restoring or rebuilding this historical structure.