France: Fire destroys the Basilica of Saint Donatien in Nantes

A fire on June 15, 2015, seriously damaged the Basilica of Saint-Donatien-et-Saint-Rogatien in Nantes (Western France). Despite the efforts of many firemen on site, the two thirds of the roof was destroyed by the flames. According to the daily news program 20 minutes on June 17, experts confirmed that the fire was accidental. It began at around 10:15 a.m. following welding done on the roof by two “experienced” workers employed by a conglomerate business in Nantes “that was used to this type of old building”.

Olivier Château, deputy mayor of the city of Nantes, told 20 minutes that “it is too early to give a timetable or an estimate of the amount of [repair] work required, since we do not yet know the extent” of the damage. The vault is in danger of collapsing, and a safety perimeter was set up all around the building.

The Basilica of Saint-Donatien-et-Saint-Rogatien is a 19th-century neo-Romanesque building. It is dedicated to the first Christians of Nantes, who were martyred in the city in the late third century.

(Sources: apic/20minutes – DICI no. 317 dated June 26, 2015)