Cathedral sparkles on 1000th birthday

STRASBOURG is marking the 1000th anniversary of the foundation of its spectacular cathedral with an equally spectacular lightshow that reveals its lace-like stonework in all its glory.

Starting at nightfall each night this month and until September 20, the son et lumière is a moving display of Strasbourg Cathedral’s history and reveals how it has looked through the ages, with laser brightly painting the statues and pinpointing the lacy stone.

Designed by lightshow specialists Skertzò, the show is on the west and south facades, revealing two different scenes while highlighting the enormous proportions of the building and animating the statues.

The south facade overlooking Place du Chateau becomes a living canvas for a bright and striking moving historical tableau that transforms minute by minute.

A still view of the the west facade on Place de la Cathédrale shows it painted in a myriad of colours as Skertzò’s lightshow gives the illusion that the colour that once adorned the sculptures has reappeared in the dark. This is especially striking on the ‘harp strings’ adorning the front.

Officially the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg, it is France’s second-most visited cathedral after Notre-Dame in Paris and is one of the most beautiful gothic cathedrals in Europe.

Goethe said: “The more I contemplate the façade of the cathedral, the more I am convinced of my first impression that its loftiness is linked to beauty”.

#WeLoveFrance and The sound & light show on Strasbourg Cathedral. pic.twitter.com/cgBDTzWx2u— Rachel Kaplan (@InsiderFrance) August 19, 2015

Built of pink and brown sandstone, it is visible from afar with the easily recognisable and very unusual silhouette of its single tower and it dominates the Rhine.

Its 142m spire was, from 1647 to 1874, the highest building in the world. Visitors climbing the 332 steps to the viewing platform will get a stupendous view, sweeping across the Rhine plains to the Vosges mountains and Black Forest.

Inside, the cathedral has the famous Renaissance astronomical clock, a 18m high mathematical marvel that entertains visitors every day at 12.30 with a parade of the apostles.

Near the clock is a single graceful pillar known as the Pillar of Angels, representing the Last Judgment it is decorated with angels. Up on a nearby balcony is a statue of a man resting his elbows on the balustrade and legend has it he represents a rival builder who said the single Pillar of Angels could never support the cathedral vault. He is waiting to see it collapse.

In November an exhibition of the original cathedral plans is to open at the cathedral – some of the drawings reach 4m high.

The shows start as night falls and this month the south facade show starts at 22.15, 22.45, 23.15 and 23.45. In September it switches to shows at 21.15, 21.45 and 10.45.

On the west facade there are two styles of static illuminations running from 22.15 until 1.00 this month and at 21.15 in September.

Get a taste of the show at www.youtube.com and you can find more information on the lightshow timings from www.1000cathedrale.strasbourg.eu