Why Notre Dame matters, in one Victor Hugo passage

Today's fire at Notre Dame is tragic. We do not have a confirmed cause yet. Firefighters are still working to extinguish the blaze.

We should also be aware that it is not the first difficult time that the cathedral has dealt with. It suffered through Napoleanic wars and World War 2. Victor Hugo actually inspired its original restoration in the 1840s from "Hunchback of Notre Dame"

Food for thought...