> That rarely happens with churches.

I agree. If the church didn't survive, they would just build a new one.

I imagine there lie the remains of hundreds of separate cathedrals under one. But you would never say "the church fell down". Rather, "there was an accident and renovations were required".

I see them as a Ship of Theseus, where the most long-lasting examples were determined through a lot of trial and error.

Isn't this a thing with Notre Dame? It's been a while but I remember the opening of Hunchback mentions the rebuilding right?