Mary and I visited the Notre Dame cathedral in 1991, back when you could still do fun stuff like hang from the clapper of a giant bell.
Our tour guide was impressive. He switched from English to German to French so smoothly, often in the same sentence, that everyone could follow what he was saying without having to repeat himself.
When Notre Dame cathedral burned in 2019, it was shocking or unimaginable. It just seemed like the cathedral would always be there, or if something did happen, it would be part of a wider catastrophe. It wouldn’t burn from a mundane construction accident.
Watching an old cathedral or castle burn can seem counter-intuitive. It’s made of stone and rocks and concrete. It brings to mind that scene from The Acolyte where May set fire to a mountain fortress. Everyone ridiculed the scene because it’s made of rocks.
In my photo at the top, it’s easy to see that there are plenty of support structures made from very old, very dry timber. The Acolyte was still a stupid show.
I am surprised and delighted to see Notre Dame cathedral restored and reopened in my lifetime. Getting that done in only 5 years is astounding. Somebody was motivated, but who?
That wasn’t easy to ascertain, but this article in the National Catholic Registry explains the interesting ownership history.
The French state owns all churches built before 1905, and is obligated to pay for their upkeep and allow the Church the free use of the buildings.
Thus French President Emmanuel Macron was ultimately responsible for the physical restoration of Notre Dame after the 2019 fire. He had ultimate authority, though in practice the Archdiocese of Paris was extensively consulted.
Good on President Macron for getting shit done. People were eager to donate to the restoration cause. The “Friends of the Notre-Dame de Paris” managed donations. The top donation tier is called Quasimodo’s Circle and was for donors forking over at least $10,000.
Some discussion was required to iron out the details of the reopening ceremony.
That outside/inside dynamic will be dramatically manifest on Saturday. Macron, as impresario of the restoration, initially planned that he would address the reopening ceremony from inside the cathedral. That archdiocese objected to what would appear to be the French head of state presiding over the rededication of a cathedral.
France owns the building, but the church runs the show. Symbolism is important, so that can’t be mixed up. It’s good to see that they came up with a mutually agreeable resolution.
Macron will address the opening ceremony, but while in the plaza outside the cathedral. The ceremony will then proceed with Archbishop Ulrich knocking on the doors of Notre Dame, then entering to lead the worship and rituals of dedication.
I find it encouraging that there are people who are alert to shit like that, and have the maturity to resolve any issues appropriately.
Meanwhile, the Spaniards are still puttering away on the Sagrada FamÃlia. That is a basilica they started building in 1886 funded by donations.
I visited the Sagrada Familia in 1991, and quite liked it. The chief architect was Antoni Gaudi, and he favored a Planet of the Apes aesthetic.
Since then, the Spaniards have been diligently working. Currently, it looks like this.
Principle construction is scheduled to be complete in 2026. A controversial stairway to the main entrance isn’t expected to be complete until 2034. I adore Spain, but come on, the French are making you look bad. How controversial can a stairway be?