Notre Dame is an iconic building in France, just in case you didn't know? Just in case you haven't seen the media over the last day or so? It rose from the early eleven hundreds to become a pinnacle of Christianity. To see it badly damaged by fire has shaken many people around the world. The President of France has vowed to get it rebuilt within five years.
To say this building is important is an understatement. It housed many Christian artifices, many works of art, and itself was the most beautiful of cathedrals. Many of these had fortunately been removed before the fire because of restoration work already going on. To the people of Paris, to the people of France, to many people in the world, the fire has been a great tragedy. Now the work begins to repair that tragedy.
It will cost hundreds of millions to rebuild Notre Dame, and there have already been a few comments in the media about the fact that so many very large donations have already flooded in to help this rebuild. Money that has suddenly appeared from the government too, in spite of the fact that there is not enough for other matters of state. One donation from a person is estimated at fifty eight million euros. This is a lot of money. So why could there be this fascination and yes, despair, over one building. Surely it just bricks and mortar? People are more important?
As the pictures of the fire shot around the world people everywhere were shocked and saddened by the destruction. It wasn't just because of the historical value, but also because it was.....it is.....such a beautiful building of faith. Religion and art are important to people everywhere, whatever denomination they may be. Notre Dame stands for a faith that moved people to visit from all over the world. It was a perfect picture of France's Christianity and the dreams of mankind.
So I also felt saddened watching the destruction of a large part of this building. I am agnostic although brought up in the Christian faith, but I can appreciate what this place means to so many people. I can appreciate the beauty and craftsmanship of it. I can understand why people want it to be rebuilt. To have such a foundation whipped from beneath their feet shakes the very base of the community there.
I love architecture so for me to hear that it will be rebuilt isn't difficult to understand. People need somewhere to gather. To think about their lives, to be closer to their thoughts of faith, to appreciate the beautify of something that has stood for hundreds of years, to admire the longevity of it. Notre Dame stood for all that, and by all accounts will stand again.
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