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That Burned-up French Church
Apr. 16th, 2019 11:06 pmIt's looking a good deal better tonight than I thought it did last night. The mental picture that I took to bed last night was one from the BBC that seemed to show the entire interior as a sea of fire, as though Hell had conquered the cathedral. It looked as though only the west entrance (itself a wonder of the world) and the bell towers remained.
I was expecting to see something like Coventry this morning, but instead it looks like the altar and apse are pretty much intact, and the ambulatory spaces surrounding the nave protected most of the walls and windows. The rose windows are still there, although one has black smoke marks where smoke or flames evidently somehow shot out *around* the window without breaking it. The roof burned away, but most of the inside didn't catch fire, thanks to the courage and vigour of the fire department. The spire that collapsed was apparently a 19th c reproduction by that Purple Duck fellow.
The Chaplain of the Fire Department ran inside (apparently at substantial risk to his life) and like a proper pukka Catholic priest rescued the Crown of Thorns, and the Host. Gold, jewels, statues, paintings, etc, could all burn, and too bad - he grabbed what he considered the chief items of value :) My hat is off to him.
I was a bit surprised by how hard the French seem to be taking this. I've always thought of them as a rather anti-clerical lot.
I can't help but reflect with what feral enthusiasm we destroyed one another's ancient treasures, cathedrals and otherwise, during the War.
Macron says they'll rebuild this in five years. I very much doubt that, but boastful audacity is probably called for at such a time. The French seem to respond well to that sort of thing.
What must the cathedral have looked like to people in the 12th century? Certainly the biggest, tallest building any of them had ever seen. And crusted over with carvings, and walled with coloured glass that the sun shone through, and that in an age where the only bright colours that most men ever saw were those found in nature. We tend to forget that it was only in the reign of Queen Victoria that common people started having the ability to decorate their homes with pictures and bright ornaments.
I was expecting to see something like Coventry this morning, but instead it looks like the altar and apse are pretty much intact, and the ambulatory spaces surrounding the nave protected most of the walls and windows. The rose windows are still there, although one has black smoke marks where smoke or flames evidently somehow shot out *around* the window without breaking it. The roof burned away, but most of the inside didn't catch fire, thanks to the courage and vigour of the fire department. The spire that collapsed was apparently a 19th c reproduction by that Purple Duck fellow.
The Chaplain of the Fire Department ran inside (apparently at substantial risk to his life) and like a proper pukka Catholic priest rescued the Crown of Thorns, and the Host. Gold, jewels, statues, paintings, etc, could all burn, and too bad - he grabbed what he considered the chief items of value :) My hat is off to him.
I was a bit surprised by how hard the French seem to be taking this. I've always thought of them as a rather anti-clerical lot.
I can't help but reflect with what feral enthusiasm we destroyed one another's ancient treasures, cathedrals and otherwise, during the War.
Macron says they'll rebuild this in five years. I very much doubt that, but boastful audacity is probably called for at such a time. The French seem to respond well to that sort of thing.
What must the cathedral have looked like to people in the 12th century? Certainly the biggest, tallest building any of them had ever seen. And crusted over with carvings, and walled with coloured glass that the sun shone through, and that in an age where the only bright colours that most men ever saw were those found in nature. We tend to forget that it was only in the reign of Queen Victoria that common people started having the ability to decorate their homes with pictures and bright ornaments.
