Notre Dame in Flames
Notre Dame in Flames
This... This is heartbreaking. Notre Dame, the spiritual heart of France and one of the most beautiful cathedrals - buildings, even - in the world has burned down. It's horrible that such a beautiful and magnificent place has been destroyed. But what makes it truly horrible is the significance of Notre Dame. Notre Dame is far more than "just a building". The cathedral is the spiritual heart of France, and it's one of the greatest symbols of France. This is a great loss to the world, but especially for the French. This is one of their holiest places and greatest prides. It's a building central to their culture and their heritage. Blessings upon France and the French people.
If there's any comfort, it's that Notre Dame has been destroyed but rose again before. Notre Dame fell into disrepair during the Renaissance and was brutally damaged during the French Revolution. It was actually slated for destruction during the early Nineteenth Century, but (thank Heaven) it was saved. Eugene Viollet-le-Duc, a French architectural genius and leading light of the Gothic Revival, not only rebuilt Notre Dame but made it even more beautiful and majestic - it was Viollet-le-Duc who added the spire and the gargoyles. The cathedral has risen from the ashes before. But... I can't help but fear that won't happen again. Things have changed. Viollet-le-Duc and his comrades are dead. The Gothic Revival is over. No one with any power, no one who matters, cares for France's culture, history, and heritage. It's unlikely that a magnificent restoration will happen again.
Blessings upon France and the French people. Rest in peace, Notre Dame. There will never be another like her.
This... This is heartbreaking. Notre Dame, the spiritual heart of France and one of the most beautiful cathedrals - buildings, even - in the world has burned down. It's horrible that such a beautiful and magnificent place has been destroyed. But what makes it truly horrible is the significance of Notre Dame. Notre Dame is far more than "just a building". The cathedral is the spiritual heart of France, and it's one of the greatest symbols of France. This is a great loss to the world, but especially for the French. This is one of their holiest places and greatest prides. It's a building central to their culture and their heritage. Blessings upon France and the French people.
If there's any comfort, it's that Notre Dame has been destroyed but rose again before. Notre Dame fell into disrepair during the Renaissance and was brutally damaged during the French Revolution. It was actually slated for destruction during the early Nineteenth Century, but (thank Heaven) it was saved. Eugene Viollet-le-Duc, a French architectural genius and leading light of the Gothic Revival, not only rebuilt Notre Dame but made it even more beautiful and majestic - it was Viollet-le-Duc who added the spire and the gargoyles. The cathedral has risen from the ashes before. But... I can't help but fear that won't happen again. Things have changed. Viollet-le-Duc and his comrades are dead. The Gothic Revival is over. No one with any power, no one who matters, cares for France's culture, history, and heritage. It's unlikely that a magnificent restoration will happen again.
Blessings upon France and the French people. Rest in peace, Notre Dame. There will never be another like her.
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| Notre Dame, in happier days. |
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| Joan of Arc, patron saint and national hero of France. |