Quote:
Originally Posted by MonctonRad
I also agree that Notre Dame figures larger in the collective Christian conscience of the world, no matter what language you speak. I have visited Notre Dame too (before the fire), and, aside from being accosted by Gypsies, I was really taken with the beauty and grandeur of the building. I remember watching the fire live on TV when it happened and being very upset and angry watching the spectacle.
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The funny thing is that in France it's not considered our best cathedral. It's always been a bit overhyped. Of course it's a national symbol, so it struck a special chord in France both when it burnt and now with its reopening, but in artistic terms it's never been the most liked or valued in France. People often tend to think that it's largely a 19th century neo-Gothic reinvention (which is largely untrue, as many elements are really Medieval).
Personally it's not my favorite cathedral either. It lacks in grandeur compared to some other French cathedrals or basilicas, and it's true that a lot of it is 19th century (most of the statues for instance), so of course for an American it's not going to make much difference, because it's old nonetheless, but for us it looks kind of "too recent".
The rose windows are magnificent though. To me it's the best part of the cathedral.
But really I think the French find Amiens and Chartres cathedral on another level in terms of aesthetic. Reims cathedral is also great, as is Rouen, also Strasbourg and Metz. St Sernin Basilica in Toulouse is also much grandeur than Notre Dame in terms of visual impact (but it is Romanesque, so less renowned abroad than Gothic art). And the stained glass windows at Le Mans cathedral, which I discovered only 3 years ago, are absolutely mind-blowing, much more numerous and authentic than at Notre Dame (where the clergy unfortunately destroyed most of the Medieval stained glasses in the 18th century, because they found them "too dark", so what you see now are for the most part 19th century stained glasses, although beautifully copied from Medieval originals).
PS: On a side note, the grandest of all French churches was maddeningly destroyed in the 1800s by the vandals of the Bande noire, whose specialty was demolishing all sorts of châteaux and churches seized by the Revolutionaries, and selling the stones, marbles, slates, etc. on the resale market. It was the largest church in all of Christendom before St Peter was built in Rome in the 16th century. If it was still there, it would be one of the most visited sites in France probably. Some people have recreated it in 3D.
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