As much as the Eiffel Tower, and for well more than half a millennium longer, the Cathedral of Notre Dame has stood stolid and graceful at the very heart of the City of Light, a beacon for people of every country, drawn for centuries to its magnificent Gothic portico. When they reached the French capital, many made a beeline to Notre Dame, there to have their breath taken away. Notre Dame, suffused with history, gave the impression of man-made permanence. It was neither as old as the pyramids, nor as mysterious as Stonehenge, but every bit as enduring and indelible. The world weeps for Notre Dame, and for Paris.

Source: Washington Post April 15, 2019 23:58 UTC