Appeared on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's multiple news platforms in April 2019. The Post-Gazette's site is paywall activated and imposes a limit of free stories per month. This is the story as published but can also be found on the Post-Gazette's site here. This happened on a Sunday, when I was the news editor.  So i collaborated with two other staff writers to report on a very significant news event.

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BY  ANTHONY CONROY

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There are things in this world — natural and man-made — that simply beg to be admired.

From childhood, we have formed impressions of places or things made famous by a steady diet of photos and text found in schoolbooks, travel magazines, websites, a relative's slideshow and, of course, newspapers. And for those of us of a certain age, there was always the family's well-preserved set of Funk & Wagnalls.

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The objects and destinations are so ubiquitous, nearly all of us can relate to them. And yet nothing compares to the experience of being there.

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The Grand Canyon. The Great Pyramid. The Coliseum. Machu Picchu. Niagara Falls. Manhattan from the top of the Empire State Building. The Sistine Chapel ceiling. The Great Wall. (China's, not Trump's.)

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As it happens, Paris is home to three such wonders.

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The Mona Lisa, the Eiffel Tower, and the Cathedral of Notre Dame.

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When I was young, the Cathedral was one of the first structures that left a lasting impression. So architecturally stunning, I always wanted to know what it was like to stand in front of it.

The chance finally came in 2009. After a flight that landed in the early evening, I checked into my hotel, just blocks from the Ile de la Cite — an island on the Seine River and Paris' oldest settled area.

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By now, it was nightfall, but my first destination couldn’t wait and was just minutes away.

I strolled over the Pont Neuf and onto the tip of the island. From there, I walked past the Place Dauphine, the Sainte Chapelle, and the archaeological crypt, a dig that works to preserve the island’s historical ruins.

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Soon my destination was in front of me. Two beautiful towers, a massive spire and those wonderful flying buttresses.

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It was slightly lit by a full moon, and the Cathedral was massive.

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(A side note: At night, the hedges surrounding the cathedral are inhabited by rats. Many, many rats. So be warned.)

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The next day, it was time for a proper visit. Now bathed in light, the Cathedral was ... well, sometimes words come up short.

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It was magnificent.

 

It was awesome.

 

It was breathtaking.

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Magazine images always seemed to focus on the buttresses and stained-glass windows, but never the interior. I was now in uncharted territory, never mind the fact that millions visit the site each year. To me, this was undiscovered country.

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Chandeliers. Master paintings. Tombs. Sculptures. Statuary. Carvings. Reliefs. Relics. Red and blue sunlight that filtered through the rose windows. Side chapels. The spot where Napoleon I stood on the day of his coronation. The high altar. A Mass — yes, it's still an active church. And, of course, a gift shop.

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As the priest gave Mass, people milled around the nave. Each group blissfully ignored the other — one worshiping God, the other heritage and culture.

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On Monday, Parisians were joined by the rest of the world as we all watched helplessly while flames nearly destroyed the 800-year-old structure.

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Even in that time, however, there was cause for optimism.

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A few years ago, when it was at its height, ISIS proudly destroyed or looted ancient structures and relics throughout Syria and Iraq. In Palmyra, Syria, which is a World Heritage Site, the group destroyed 1st century temples.

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At Notre Dame, it was just the opposite. While firefighters braved the inferno, citizens did something remarkable. They risked life and limb, running inside to rescue one priceless artifact after another.

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In a moment of extreme sadness, it was a reason to celebrate. Heritage, culture and history are always worth saving.