Of Quasimodo, Esmeralda, Notre Dame and beyond

A fast-moving fire that blazed for several hours and consumed the iconic more than 800-year-old Notre Dame Cathedral on Monday has changed the Paris skyline, and evoked an outpouring of sorrow and shock from people across the world. The blazing flames, which probably started from the scaffolding put up for the cathedral's renovation, burst rapidly through the roof of the emblematic Parisian structure before bringing down its famed spire.

The blaze seems to have brought out the best in humanity with several countries and corporations promising to help France rebuild the cathedral made famous by Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.

France's three wealthiest families have launched a fundraising campaign to rebuild the cathedral that has already garnered more than $700 million. Luxury giants LVMH Group (Louis Vuitton), Kering (which owns Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent and other luxury brands) and L'Oreal have pledged a combined 500 million euros ($565 million).