A fire on Monday razed down the iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral at the heart of Paris. It was a tragedy that shocked the whole world. However, efforts by firefighters made it possible for most of the structure to remain intact. We have also heard reports that some precious artifacts found in the church were also salvaged and are in good condition. What now remains is to restore the cathedral to its former glory. Restoration experts have warned that rebuilding the iconic French landmark could take more than a decade.
But the French government has remained defiant. In a televised address to the country shortly after the tragedy, French president Emmanuel Macron said that they are hoping to rebuild and restore the Notre-Dame in five years. Macron also sent a tweet later saying that “we will rebuild it together” calling on all French citizens to rally behind this course. Contributions have been coming through to help fund the restoration that’s likely to cost hundreds of millions. However, it turns out that there’s actually one area where restoration experts can draw inspiration from.
The 2014 Assassin’s Creed game titled “Assassin’s Creed Unity” which is set in Paris could provide some ideas on how to move forward with the project. The game takes place during the French revolution. It has one of the most lavish and historically accurate depictions of the Notre-Dame and this fact hasn’t escaped the attention of most YouTube users. Some are even creating very detailed walkthroughs of the cathedral in the game. Since Assassin’s Creed Unity has some of the best graphics out there, these walkthroughs are giving us a very good look at every inch of the cathedral. The main character in the game, a Frenchman called Arno, is able to explore the entire cathedral too. As he walks through the interior, you can clearly see the stunning beauty of the Notre-Dame.
What makes this so valuable is the fact that this is not an imaginary church that some game developer created. It is almost the exact replica of the Notre-Dame. If restoration experts are wondering what goes where when they begin rebuilding the cathedral, they can actually turn to the game and find out. The accurate depiction of the Notre-Dame is however not by chance. Developers of the game spent two years poring over details of this iconic landmark in order to create the most accurate depiction possible.
However, there’s no doubt that the people who will be charged with restoring the cathedral will have plenty of resources to guide them through their work. It’s very likely that there are many historical records that can still be used. Restoration works may not even resort to Assassin’s Creed Unity but the fact that the game is as an option is quite interesting. Nonetheless, we are still not sure how soon the rebuilding work will start. If indeed France is to do it in five years as promised by Macron, then they must start working as soon as possible because it won’t be an easy job.
