French president Emmanuel Macron promised that Notre Dame will be renovated within five years and will be “even better than before” after the devastating fire that ravaged much of the building.

Investigators have already begun assessing the damage and questioning people to try to establish what started the blaze that consumed the roof and spire of the 850-year-old Gothic masterpiece.

More then €600m (£518m) has already been raised for rebuilding and restoration and the UK has said it stands ready to help.

Firefighters battled for 14 hours to extinguish the flames, as onlookers feared the entire structure would be wrecked.

But Parisians breathed a sigh of relief when it became clear the twin medieval bell towers had been spared and later when fire investigators revealed that “most precious” treasures have been saved.

Notre Dame fire: What was lost and what was saved Show all 13 1 /13 Notre Dame fire: What was lost and what was saved Notre Dame fire: What was lost and what was saved Statue of Saint Denis Notre Dame https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Paris_-_Cath%C3%A9drale_Notre-Dame_-_Portail_de_la_Vierge_-_PA00086250_-_003.jpg Thesupermat/CC-BY-SA Thesupermat/CC-BY-SA Thesupermat/CC-BY-SA Notre Dame fire: What was lost and what was saved "Close up of Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus statues at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France. Other images of the Notre Dame Cathedral:" gregobagel Getty Images/iStockphoto Notre Dame fire: What was lost and what was saved Safe: Rose windows Among the most famous architectural features of the Gothic masterpiece, the stained glass rose windows are treasured artworks. The three rose windows, which date back to the 13th century, adorn the north, south and west facades. There were hopes the windows had escaped being destroyed by the fire after firefighters stopped its spread. Photos the following morning suggested the circular window of the nave had remained intact. AFP/Getty Notre Dame fire: What was lost and what was saved Destroyed: Irreplaceable wooden roof Crowds of tourists and Parisians watched in horror as the spire and roof of Notre Dame cathedral came crashing down to the ground. EPA Notre Dame fire: What was lost and what was saved Safe: Descent from the Cross The cross and statue on Notre Dame's high altar - sculpted by Nicolas Coustou in 1723 - were believed to have survived in tact despite being surrounded by smoke and debris. Reuters Notre Dame fire: What was lost and what was saved Safe: Great Organ With nearly 8,000 pipes, some dating back to the 1700s, Notre Dame's master organ is one of the largest in the world. The monumental instrument, the largest in France, was fully restored in 2013 with each pipe cleaned. Paris' deputy mayor, Emmanuel Gregoire, said the instrument remained intact following the fire. AFP/Getty Notre Dame fire: What was lost and what was saved Safe: Bells Housed in the two western towers, Notre Dame's bells have rung out at key moments in France's history. Emmanuel, the largest bell, was lifted into the south tower in 1685 and weighs over 23 tonnes. The fire was prevented from spreading to the bell towers. AFP/Getty Notre Dame fire: What was lost and what was saved Safe: Crown of Thorns Believed to be a relic of the wreath of thorns placed on the head of Jesus Christ at his crucifixion, the object was stored in the cathedral's treasury. French King Louis IX brought the relic, which is contained in an elaborate gold case, to Paris in 1238. The Crown of Thorns was saved and has been taken into safekeeping. AP Notre Dame fire: What was lost and what was saved Safe: Tunic of Saint Louis The tunic allegedly worn by Saint Louis IX as he brought the Crown of Thorns to Paris was kept inside the cathedral. It has been saved. AFP/Getty Notre Dame fire: What was lost and what was saved Safe: Statues on the roof The week before the fire, religious statues set atop the cathedral were removed for the first time in over 100 years as part of the restoration project. A 100-metre-high crane lowered the copper statues representing the 12 apostles and four evangelists onto a lorry. AFP Notre Dame fire: What was lost and what was saved Destroyed: Spire Crowds of tourists and Parisians watched in horror as the spire and roof of Notre Dame cathedral came crashing down to the ground. EPA/I Notre Dame fire: What was lost and what was saved Unknown: Choir screen It is not known what happened to the detailed choir screen at Notre Dame cathedral. AFP/Getty Notre Dame fire: What was lost and what was saved Some of the artworks from Notre-Dame sheltered as the fire devastated the cathedral AFP/Getty

They included the Crown of Thorns, a relic venerated by Christians and believed to have been worn by Jesus Christ, as well as the cathedral’s 18th-century organ and a number of artworks.

European Council president Donald Tusk called on the European Union’s member countries to help, saying the site in central Paris is a symbol of what binds Europe together.

The fire, which began on Monday evening, is thought to have been caused by an accident rather than arson, the Paris public prosecutor said.

Architects warned repairs could take decades but in a televised address to the nation Mr Macron said: “We will rebuild Notre Dame even more beautifully, and I want it to be completed in five years, we can do it.”

“It is up to us to change this disaster into an opportunity to come together, having deeply reflected on what we have been and what we have to be and become better than we are. It is up to us to find the thread of our national project.”

Pope Francis and the Queen joined global expressions of sorrow for the cathedral.

Vatican spokesman Alessandro Gisotti said the Pontiff called Mr Macron and tweeted: “During the exchange the Holy Father expressed his solidarity with the French people after the blaze that ravaged the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris.”

(AP (AP)

Notre Dame was undergoing restoration, having been damaged by earlier renovation efforts.

Paris prosecutor Remy Heitz said the inquiry into what caused the fire would be long and complex.

(Statista (Statista)

Fifty investigators working on it would interview workers from five companies hired for the renovations to the cathedral’s wooden-beam roof, where the flames first broke out, he said.

A police official said investigators had already questioned nearly 30 people.

Interior minister Christophe Castaner said the structure was now under permanent surveillance because it could still budge.

It is up to us to change this disaster into an opportunity to come together Emmanuel Macron

The hundreds of tons of scaffolding that had been around the spire have heightened the risk from more parts falling.

Notre Dame is part of a Unesco world heritage site and the organisation has offered its expertise in renovations. Poland, the Czech Republic and Greece also offered to send experts.

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France’s richest businessman, Bernard Arnault, of luxury goods group LVMH, pledged €200m (£173m) for reconstruction.

Billionaire Francois Pinault and his son, Francois-Henri Pinault, said they were giving €100m (£86m) their company, Artemis, the holding company owning auction house Christie’s and main shareholder of Gucci.