I first visited Notre Dame in 1997 while on spring break, and at the time I was in awe at the stained glass, the Rose Window, and the history of the iconic cathedral. I thought of my grandmother, who always wore a necklace with a replica of the Rose Window on it. Seeing it in person made me remember sitting on her lap, holding up the necklace to the light and watching the light shine through the glass. When I went back with my husband and friends in 2014, we had this AMAZING view of the Cathedral every morning from the deck of our VRBO.
If the Eiffel Tower is the modern icon of Paris, Notre Dame is certainly the ancient symbol.
I put this reflection on Notre Dame together for my AP and IB European History classes today, if you're interested in learning a little about the 800+ year history of the cathedral and the impact that the fire had on the structure and art. I made this the morning after the fire, so there will undoubtedly be updates as the assessments continue.
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1BothKG_etGkYzrX5vsP9n5F0NEf7TKxi1SopwrT5K8Q/edit?usp=sharing