Before the fire.
Was it a good design? Yes. A great design? No.Do I wish a lot of the artwork could have been saved for use elsewhere? Absolutely.
Do I think the fire was a blessing in disguise since it paved the way for a truly great design? Frankly, yes. It also saved us the cost of heating that extra twenty feet of height.
What a terrible, terrible loss. I have to disagree with you Jeffrey, the images of the pre-fire church are very imposing -- beyond anything I can think of in Toledo before the cathedral.
ReplyDeleteKyle -- ever the diplomat.
It is always just so disturbing to see the shattered shell of a burned-out church. Those paintings on the ceiling must've been splendid, regardless of the extra 20 feet. And while the current windows are gorgeous, there's just something about 19th-century windows ...
ReplyDeleteIt really was a terrible loss at the time. Thanks be to God that it was rebuilt so remarkably.