Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica exposed.. inside and out

Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica, as is her official title..  sits proudly in the center of a roundabout.. everybody passes by her a hundred times a day.. I wonder if she's noticed still?... If you've been part of the city for soooooooooo long already.. surely NO'ONE notices you? 

Wrong Jeanie.. she's VERY much part of this city Saigon.. she's loved on every  corner.. she's used as a backdrop for the most important day in every woman's life.. her wedding day.. she gets to meet the babies when they are baptized.. and is there with you, to offer support and comfort when your parents die.. 

Every window and every stone seems to smile as you walk on by.. 

On 7 October 1877, Bishop Isidore Colombert laid the first stone in an inaugural ceremony. The construction of the cathedral took three years. On  Easter Day, 11 April 1880, a blessing ceremony and ceremony of completion were solemnly organized in presence of the Governor of Cochinchina Charles Le Myre de Vilers. One can see the granite plate inside the main entry gate commemorating the start and completion dates and designer. The total cost was 2,500,000 French francs (at that time price). At the beginning, the cathedral was called State Cathedral due to source of the construction cost.

Her steeple used to be the tallest in the city.. 

 Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica (Vietnamese: Vương cung thánh đường Đức Bà Sài Gòn or Nhà thờ Đức Bà Sài Gòn,French: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Saïgon), officially Basilica of Our Lady of The Immaculate Conception(Vietnamese: Vương cung thánh đường Chính tòa Đức Mẹ Vô nhiễm Nguyên tội) is a cathedral located in the downtown of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Established by French colonists, the cathedral was constructed between 1863 and 1880. It has two bell towers, reaching a height of 58 meters (190 feet).

Inside she is serene and graceful..

And on her tiled marbled floors, millions have passed by.. or stood for a blessing.. 

She sure makes your holiday pictures look amazing! 

 All the original building materials were imported from France. Tiles have been carved with the words Guichard Carvin, Marseille St André France (perhaps stating the locality where the tiles were produced). Some tiles are carved with the words "Wang-Tai Saigon". Many tiles have since been made in Ho Chi Minh City to replace the tiles that were damaged by the war. There are 56 glass squares supplied by the Lorin firm of Chartres province in France. The cathedral foundation was designed to bear ten times the weight of the cathedral.   (thanks Wikipedia for her vitals)..