Notre Dame Cathedral - A story in the news with backstories

The number of new, important issues which have been headlining in the news lately makes it hard to follow them all, especially during the holiday season. And sometimes it seems like we are not meant to follow them, but rather to allow them to wash over us to increase a sense of anxiety. But the re-building of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris and its re-dedication this weekend is not just a flash-in-the-pan story.

Notre Dame

Some History - Victor Hugo

Victor Hugo’s most enduring cultural legacy is not Les Misérables and Jean Valjean’s struggle to find something resembling justice in a world that shows no mercy to the poor. The 19th century French author’s most profound mark on France, and the world, is a monumental Gothic cathedral, whose spires and rose windows are as iconic as the Eiffel Tower. To a large extent, the Notre Dame, which will be reopened on Saturday after burning to the ground in 2019, is of Victor Hugo’s making.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame, published in 1831, begins with the introduction of the beautiful gypsy Esmeralda, the hunchback Quasimodo, the archdeacon Claude Frollo, the enamored Pierre Gringoire and Captain Febo de Châteaupers... But suddenly, the novelist interrupts the narrative to speak about the desecrated state of the Parisian cathedral, which was so rickety, it looked as though it might collapse at any moment. Neither the Gothic nor the Middle Ages had been defended at that time, nor was there yet the idea that the monuments of the past should be preserved. In fact, they were often considered annoying monstrosities that had to be got rid of as soon as possible (a view that persists in some areas).

The novelist launches into a vindication of medieval and Gothic art, accusing the authorities of being responsible for their decline, not only from a lack of conservation, but also due to the imposition of current tastes on the past. "Fashions have wrought more harm than revolutions," he points out, in a phrase that could be applied to some of the barbarism inflicted on the Notre Dame.

Thanks to Hugo’s efforts, Eugène-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc, an architect also fascinated by the Middle Ages, was able to undertake a massive restoration project. In fact, as the world watched the fire unfold live in astonishment, the point of no return — the moment when it seemed certain that Notre Dame would be lost — was marked by the collapse of its iconic spire, which was designed by Le-Duc. The spire was a masterwork inspired by a similar structure that had been lost two centuries earlier.

“Le-Duc was passionate about the Middle Ages,” said Didier Rykner, author of Notre-Dame. Une affaire d’etat (Notre-Dame. A Matter of State). “He tried to return the cathedral to the Middle Ages: to leave the monument not in the state it was in during the Middle Ages; but the state it should have been in at that time.” Several other sites in medieval France, from Carcassonne to Mont Saint-Michel — whether seen as stunning or verging on kitsch — were also restored by Le-Duc, who pioneered the notion of the Middle Ages as a pivotal era that shaped modern identity.

The author fusses a little bit about "the appropriation of the Middle Ages by right-wing and far-right groups", but it is an interesting piece. I think it reflects some ambiguity about today's events and about the current approach to the medieval period in Europe.

Notre Dame reopens its doors to Macron and other world leaders in a rare symbol of unity

PARIS (AP) — France's iconic Notre Dame Cathedral is formally reopening its doors on Saturday for the first time since a devastating fire nearly destroyed the 861-year-old landmark in 2019.

The restoration, a spectacular achievement in just five years for a structure that took nearly two centuries to build, is seen as a moment of triumph for French President Emmanuel Macron, who championed the ambitious timeline — and a welcome respite from his domestic political woes.

"Political woes" means getting kicked to the curb by voters, I guess.

Under the luminous stained glass, many world leaders, dignitaries, and worshippers will gather in the evening to mark the occasion — a rare moment of unity against the backdrop of global divisions and conflicts.

President-elect Donald Trump, America's first lady Jill Biden and Britain's Prince William, along with dozens of state and government and personalities — 1,500 guests in all — will attend the reopening celebration under Notre Dame’s soaring Gothic arches, led by Archbishop Laurent Ulrich.

Trump's Notre Dame Appearance Means More Than You Think

David Strom:

Emmanuel Macron, the French President, invited President Donald Trump to attend the grand re-opening of Notre Dame Cathedral after 5 years of reconstruction.

It will be a grand affair, attended by 50 heads of state, and Donald Trump is being treated as one of them even before he returns to power on January 20th, 2025.

That's a big deal, because it is a symbolic acknowledgment that in the eyes of the world, including Europe, Donald Trump is already the president who matters. Joe Biden is PINO (President in Name Only). I like that neologism.

Strom discusses why European leaders may have mixed feelings about Trump. But:

One thing we do know, though, is that Trump is responsive to flattery, and you can expect a lot of it when he arrives in Europe. There won't be the sniggering we saw during his first term as he is striding onto the world stage as a victor. I expect he will get most of what he wants.

Pleasing Trump is much more important than pleasing Ursula von der Layen at the EU.

Thoughts on the medieval era and our attention to its art and architecture? Or on today's grand event at Notre Dame?

Here's a fascinating thread about another great edifice:

This is Mont Saint Michel, a 1,300 year-old abbey built in Normandy, France.

It's a masterpiece of Medieval engineering and defies all odds.

But it isn't a solitary wonder, it's part of the greatest formation of marvels that you've never heard of... 🧵 pic.twitter.com/T6MYlOpa8t

— World Scholar (@WorldScholar_) November 24, 2024

More "History"

Never change, Axios. Consider just going away.

Axios Butchers the History of Thanksgiving

On the day before Thanksgiving, Axios published an article titled “Thanksgiving’s Troubled History” by Russell Contreras, the “Justice and Race reporter at Axios.”

Citing “a new generation of historians,” Contreras declares that “Thanksgiving in the United States is based on a mythical feast between the Wampanoag people and Mayflower Pilgrims” and that “the holiday’s real story is mixed with national unity and racial exclusion.”

According to Contreras, the Native Americans weren’t actually invited to the famous 1621 meal but “showed up” out of “concern over gunshots.” . . .

A little bit of investigative journalism concerning the Axios piece follows.

In short, Axios’ claim that Thanksgiving is “based on a mythical feast” rests on an uncorroborated assertion made by one person 400 years after the events in question.

Peters’ version of Thanksgiving doesn’t even appear to be a tribal tradition because she stated that the Wampanoag celebrate Thanksgiving like other Americans and “most of us are taught about the friendly Indians and the friendly Pilgrims and people sitting down and eating together.”

Moreover, Peters’ account is at odds with the first-hand witness of Edward Winslow, governor of the Pilgrim colony, which consisted of only 53 people at the time. He wrote that the Pilgrims “entertained and feasted” with the Indians for three days because, “by the goodness of God, we are so far from want, that we often wish you partakers of our plenty.”

That was 242 years before Abraham Lincoln established Thanksgiving as a national holiday, obliterating the accusation that Lincoln made it up.

The National Press Club recently honored Axios CEO Jim VandeHei, who took the opportunity to lambaste Elon Musk for saying to X users, “You are the media now.” . . .

Heh.

Visual "History" these days

Music

Sous le Ciel de Paris

Last week's thread,
November 30, Has anything filled you with wonder this year?

Did you find any news from the last couple of weeks to be stunning?

MAYBE THIS WILL JOG YOUR MEMORY: Steven Hayward's Week in Pictures: Pardon Me?

Comments are closed so you won't ban yourself by trying to comment on a week-old thread. But don't try it anyway.

Hope you have something nice planned for this weekend.

This is the Thread before the Gardening Thread.

posted by K.T. at 11:10 AM

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