Notre Dame de Paris has moved from a Gothic cathedral, old wonderful, dusty and dark. Very very dark due to age, pollution, wars and general neglect into something the world has never seen before.
If you have ever been into a gothic catheral in France you have never seen anything like these 2 images.
Having traveled through Europe for over 50 years, I love the history however churces, cathedrals anything that is religious is in a constant state of disrepair, repair and old and dark.
As you shuffle through and look at the art that is inside any of these amazing buildings you are constantly caught out by an image here or there that is off in a corner. Maybe it is a Michengelo, a Pieta. Or something by Raphael who died so young. Or the crazed genius Caravaggio or Botticellis galore.
None however seem to be relaxed, they are all in a state of being overworn or over cleaned or just grimy and donation requests are everywhere.
THAT IS OVER NOW WITH NOTRE DAME de PARIS
This is perfection. A perfection of course that the grand cathedral never knew. It was impossible to be as perfect as this as bits pieces were added over 800 years. There were countless wars, the crowning of Napoleon and saving the cathedral from the greatest of wars and threat, WWII where it stood almost unscathed.
Every year 30 million visit Notre Dame, I had relatives who were married at the main altar in the 50s when you could pull some strings and get in a quick marriage as France needed money just to keep the lights on after the war and there was nothing like the $800 million spent to restore it to a glory unknown anywhere in the world.
My recommendation is visit it and marvel it as cultural art museum that is unprecedented and unfortunately will most likely never happen again for any other of the many cathedrals in France or thousands of gorgeous yet fading buildings across Europe.
France is a very special place. Unlike Italy, it still has a large and lively population that is dedicated to maintaining it’s extensive heritage. The money that comes from tourists and donations from around the world saved Notre Dame. They will be instrumental in saving the rest of the heritage of France as no country can afford to keep up such a large patrimony without outside help. As with the pressures of society and wars now rumbling in the east meaning more for defense, less for social programs. An aging population, a population where immigrants are not integrating as well as hoped and an uncertain future, NOTRE DAME de PARIS as restored will stand as a unique point in time, beauty, grace and spirituality that simply cannot be replicated.
It was of course worth every Euro. Not just for France but for the world.
I can’t wait to go and unlike in the past, I will take more and more time to marvel at the perfection not of the original but of the artisans who have recreated the past.
La Belle France has done the impossible.
On behalf of art, culture and spirit of Christianity - Merci Beau Coup.
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