Second weekend trip is complete!! Time is flying by and the planning process for the next few months is making this semester fly by. A big group of my friends and I traveled to the Alsace Region of France where we stayed in Strasbourg. We were looking for a relaxing weekend and most definitely found that. In-between sleeping late and finding quaint little restaurants and patisseries, I got to visit many different historical sites in Europe's capital. One of my favorites that we visited this weekend was Cathèdrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg, also known as the Strasbourg Cathedral.
This Cathedral was built in 1015 and took over 300 years to complete. Its completion in 1439 was a huge feat by its creator, Victor Hugo. This cathedral has a Gothic style to it, which is evident in its architectural grandeur tower that reaches about 465 feet (142 m) in height. Even though a sizable amount of the Cathedral is under construction, it did not take away from the beauty of the ornate details in the walls and frame that jump out at you upon closer inspection. When I heard how long it took for this building to be created, I was astounded. With the lack of tools these builders had all those years ago, I can't even imagine how they constructed this place out of pink sandstone, which changes color depending on the lighting and time of day. The view I took this photo from shows the taller side of the Cathedral and what I believe to be the most visually engaging side. You can see the mirrored windows on the left and right sides on the level directly below the terrace as well as the symmetrical windows in the middle. The Archway at the bottom has a half-circle shape, almost cone-like even, with many different religious sculptures etched into the arch that lead into what I believe to be important religious figureheads. The circular pattern right above the arch was aesthetically pleasing to the eye and found myself admiring its beauty as I love sketching those types of abstract designs in my free time. My group had the opportunity to climb to (almost) the top of the tower where beautiful views could be seen from all sides of the terrace.
Once we climbed an absurd amount of stairs, the views were breathtaking. However, what really caught my eye was this fish-eye style map of Strasbourg. The beautiful colors of the roofs of each building capture the beauty of this city. This fish-eye effect the artist depicted creates this exaggerated version of the size of the buildings that gives them a futuristic look. It seemed to have been created with paint and a type of lament to help preserve the bright colors. Its interesting to see the perspective of the city from above as well as having the Cathedral as the focal point of the piece. The location of it is marked by a stain glass looking centerpiece to show the intricacy of the Cathedral itself. I like that the city of Strasbourg includes a more modern piece a top a much older structure. Bringing those two worlds together is an important aspect of art as they can both influence one another in future works.
After our trip to the top, we had the opportunity to admire the beauty of the inside of the Cathedral. Hundreds of chairs line the middle of the Cathedral that are pointed directly at the alter. The outskirts were lined with Votive candles where visitors could light a candle to pray for another. However, what grabbed my attention the most were the stained glass windows that lined the walls of the Cathedral. The bright colors create an amiable view for visitors to look at. The intricate details of each panel tell a story of an important religious event that involves the denomination practiced here in the past and even now. It shows that this building has history and many memories have been created and evolved within this structure. The stain glass windows made me think of my home back in the United States. My house was built in the late 1800s and has stained class in almost every room. Even though they are simple square patterns, many memories have been created under the protection of those windows and I hope that many more will be created, in both places, for years to come.
On our way back from the Cathedral, we stumbled upon a statue that grabbed my attention. Nearby the Bibliotheque Nationale Et Universitaire and another government building was the "Monument aux morts de Strasbourg," or the Monument of the Dead in Strasbourg. It commemorates the lives of the city's children lost during World War I. What was interesting was that it does not target one specific country for these loses like many other statues similar to this one do. The monument is made out of concrete and carved into the fallen children that didn't survive the war. It represents a mother trying to save a French as well as a German solider from dying. When you get up close, you can see that the aren't wearing their uniforms as to not distinguish between their home country, that they strove for unity in their final hours. Targeting children in this type of memoriam is something I have never seen before. It hit home to me that such a sad period of time resulted in such a detailed structure.
