Notre-Dame de Paris - The Light, Shadow and Chant of Rebirth

Notre-Dame de Paris, standing by the Seine River, is a paragon of Gothic architecture. Since its foundation in 1163, it has been the soul of medieval architecture, renowned for the lightness of its flying buttresses and the vibrancy of its rose windows 🏰. Napoleon's coronation ceremony took place at Notre-Dame de Paris on December 2, 1804. This ceremony held special significance: traditionally, the coronation of French kings was conducted at Reims Cathedral, but Napoleon chose Notre-Dame de Paris, intending to emphasize the "secularity" of his power and his control over the city of Paris. During the ceremony, he did not let the Pope crown him; instead, he placed the crown on his own head and that of his wife Josephine with his own hands. This act demonstrated that his power did not solely derive from religious authority, but from his own achievements and the support of the people 🙌. This scene was also recorded by painter Jacques-Louis David in his work The Coronation of Napoleon I, becoming a timeless classic 🎨. The 2019 fire caused the spire to collapse and the dome to turn black. After four years of restoration, the hall, which reopened in 2024, has shed its former gloominess. Compared to the memory of visiting Notre-Dame de Paris eleven years ago, the restored stone walls now glow with a warm beige hue, the vaults are as fresh as ochre red, and sunlight penetrates the restored rose windows, casting fragments of stained glass depicting Bible stories onto the smooth stone slabs. The air is filled with the smell of dust and the breath of new life ✨. It happened that a mass was taking place, and the temple was instantly filled with singing. The clear voices of the choir were like candle flames, no less impressive than an opera performance, echoing under the tall vaults. With a purity that touches the soul, every note seemed to grow out of the cracks in the stones, full of piety and extremely shocking 🙏. Deep in the hall, the 19th-century mural The Nativity of Jesus remains intact. The Virgin Mary beside the manger has her eyelids lowered, and the halo outlined in gold leaf shimmers in the bright light, interweaving with the choir's singing, as if endowing the night two thousand years ago with warmth 🌙. The dome that I once looked up at in darkness now unfolds in the singing and light; some beliefs can neither be burned nor dimmed 💫. Notre-Dame de Paris still hosts some events of political significance today. On December 7, 2024, the reopening ceremony of Notre-Dame de Paris was held. French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife received invited heads of state and government from various countries on the square in front of the cathedral, including U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and approximately 50 other dignitaries 🇫🇷🇺🇸🇺🇦🇩🇪. In his speech at the ceremony, Macron emphasized that the country should cherish the lessons of fragility, humility, and willingness like a treasure. This event was regarded as a major diplomatic moment and also reflected the important position of Notre-Dame de Paris in France's political and diplomatic arenas 🌍. #RecordNow #Record #France #Paris #NotreDameDeParis