Brooklyn Neustaeter, CTVNews.ca Staff
Published Tuesday, April 16, 2019 6:54AM EDT
Last Updated Tuesday, April 16, 2019 8:40AM EDT
French billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault, who is married to actress Salma Hayek, is pledging more than CA$150 million to help rebuild the damaged Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
In a statement obtained by French newspaper Le Figaro, Pinault said, "My father and myself have decided to unblock a sum of 100 million euros from our Artemis funds (the family holding company) to participate in the effort that will be necessary for the complete reconstruction of Notre-Dame."
Later, the donation was trumped by the family of French billionaire Bernard Arnault and his group LVMH, which owns 70 luxury brands including Louis Vuitton, which pledged CA$300 million.
"In the wake of this national tragedy, the Arnault family and the LVMH Group pledge their support for #NotreDame,” the company said in a statement on Twitter.
“They will donate a total of 200 million euros to the fund for reconstruction of this architectural work, which is an integral part of the history of France."
A massive fire consumed the roof and destroyed the spire of Notre Dame on Monday, while the monument was under renovations. No one was injured and fire officials say the main structure remains intact.
Pinault announced the donation less than six hours after the fire began.
The 56-year-old businessman is the chairman and CEO of the Kering group, which owns and controls luxury brands including Gucci, Alexander McQueen and Saint Laurent. He also is president of Groupe Artemis, the French holding company that owns Christie's auction house.
These major donations follows French President Emmanuel Macron's promise to restore the 856-year-old Paris landmark.
Speaking outside the Cathedral late Monday night, Macron said a public fundraising drive will open Tuesday in France to raise money for the rebuild.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has floated the idea of an “international donor’s conference” that would unite philanthropists and restoration experts in Paris to raise money for rebuilding Notre Dame, according to The Washington Post.
And a national collection has been launched by the Foundation for French Heritage.
Hayek shared an image of the burning cathedral on Instagram, writing in the caption, "As many others I’m in deep shock and sadness to witness the beauty of Notre-Dame turn into smoke. I love you Paris."
The Oscar-nominated actress and Pinault share a home near Notre Dame and were married in Paris on Valentine's Day in 2009 at the City Hall of the Sixth Arrondissement -- less than a mile away from the cathedral.
Constructed In the 12th century, the Notre Dame Cathedral is home to historic works of art and relics including the Crown of Thorns, which is said to have been worn by Jesus Christ before the crucifixion.
Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo said on Twitter that a significant amount of the church's artifacts had been recovered.
The church is considered one of the world's greatest religious and architectural treasures, immortalized by Victor Hugo's 1831 novel "The Hunchback of Notre Dame."
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