But the fire at the cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris that destroyed its incredibly delicate-looking wood-and-lead Gothic spire threatened history of a different kind. It presented, too, a physical site for the changing scenes of French history, its royal reigns, revolutions, wars and coronations. It is not just the sheer beauty of a structure that makes it symbolic; the world is full of astonishing edifices. The fire has — another irony — opened up purses all over the world, although, predictably, that is being criticized against the context of what the Yellow Vests movement represents. The fire occurred on another historic day in France, when the president would have announced how he meant to address the Yellow Vests’ demands.

Source: The Telegraph April 20, 2019 03:33 UTC