webfact Posted April 16, 2019 Share Posted April 16, 2019 'City of lights' plunged into dark sorrow as Notre-Dame burns By Leigh Thomas Smoke rises around the altar in front of the cross inside the Notre Dame Cathedral as a fire continues to burn in Paris, France, April 16, 2019. REUTERS/Philippe PARIS (Reuters) - Distraught Parisians and stunned tourists gazed in disbelief on Monday as a monstrous inferno tore through Paris' Notre-Dame cathedral, one of the world's best-loved monuments. Thousands of onlookers lined bridges over the Seine and along the river's embankments, held at a distance by a police cordon as the blaze engulfed the cathedral's roof. "I'm devastated," said Elizabeth Caille, 58, who lives close to the cathedral. "It's a symbol of Paris. It's a symbol of Christianity. It's a whole world that is collapsing." As dark fell over the French capital, orange flames rising through the heart of the 12th century Gothic cathedral cast an eerie glow through its stained-glass windows and against its stone towers. Dumbstruck observers stood rooted to the spot as the scale of catastrophe sunk in, questioning whether the cathedral would survive the night as clouds of acrid-smelling smoke rose into the sky. Some were visibly moved. "It will never be the same" said 30-year-old Samantha Silva, tears welling in her eyes as she explained how she would always take foreign friends visiting Paris to the cathedral. Built over a century starting around the year 1160, historians consider Notre-Dame to be among the best examples of French Gothic cathedral architecture. Notre Dame survived being ransacked by rioting Huguenots in the 16th century, pillaging during the French Revolution of the 1790s and being left in a state of semi-neglect until Victor Hugo's 1831 novel "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame", which led to renewed interest in the cathedral and a major restoration which began in 1844. The cathedral continued to be used as a place for national mourning in modern-day France. World leaders attended memorial services held for former presidents Charles de Gaulle and Francois Mitterrand. "It's horrible, it's 800 years of history gone up in smoke," said German tourist Katrin Recke. As fire-fighters raced to save priceless artworks, centuries-old gargoyles and the cathedral's northern tower, world leaders expressed sorrow and grief in messages to the French people. "Notre-Dame belonged to all humanity. What a tragic spectacle. What horror. I share the French nation's sadness," tweeted Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Union's executive Commission. Former U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton wrote: "My heart goes out to Paris. Notre-Dame is a symbol of our ability as human beings to unite for a higher purpose - to build breathtaking spaces for worship that no one person could have built on their own." (Reporting by Leigh Thomas, Writing by Richard Lough, Editing by Robin Pomeroy) -- © Copyright Reuters 2019-04-16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiChakayan Posted April 16, 2019 Share Posted April 16, 2019 A cathedral isn't a mere building, it is an Idea. Notre Dame survives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted April 16, 2019 Author Share Posted April 16, 2019 People kneel on the pavement as they pray outside watching flames engulf Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris on April 15, 2019. A colossal fire swept through the famed Notre-Dame Cathedral in central Paris on April 15, 2019, causing a spire to collapse and raising fears over the future of the nearly millenium old building and its precious artworks. The fire, which began in the early evening, sent flames and huge clouds of grey smoke billowing into the Paris sky as stunned Parisians and tourists watched on in sheer horror. Source: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/photo-of-the-day-31/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dick dasterdly Posted April 16, 2019 Share Posted April 16, 2019 How on earth did this happen? ☹️ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
from the home of CC Posted April 16, 2019 Share Posted April 16, 2019 no matter the cause I anticipate the words 'climate change' being thrown about in the news soon.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dick dasterdly Posted April 16, 2019 Share Posted April 16, 2019 14 minutes ago, from the home of CC said: no matter the cause I anticipate the words 'climate change' being thrown about in the news soon.. I suppose you MAY be right in linking these to govt.s trying to change the 'conversation' in their countries.... But at the moment it's a bit far-fetched. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jak2002003 Posted April 16, 2019 Share Posted April 16, 2019 'People kneel on the pavement as they pray outside' Are they asking the all powerful and all knowing god why he burnt down (or allowed his cathedral to go on fire and did nothing)? It must be his will... so they better get over it. Or perhaps he does not exist and these people are being very stupid? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cryingdick Posted April 16, 2019 Share Posted April 16, 2019 I am sorry the building burnt but the amount of abuse that went on in the last 900 years was immense. Right before Good Friday nonetheless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rimmer Posted April 16, 2019 Share Posted April 16, 2019 Off topic troll post removed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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