It is very sad for us french and for everyone who loves our lady, Nôtre Dame
If you've visited Paris, then you know that like the Mona Lisa, the cathedral has a huge presence, but is in fact, very small. Sitting on its little island in the midst of the busy, modern city, it's a thoughtful and beautiful reminder of our history and losing part of it is like losing a part of that history.
Napoleon was crowned emperor here and he ordered and oversaw the renovations after the 18th century revolution nearly destroyed it. That's the thing about the french and our culture, we persevere, no matter what.