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Ancient French cathedrals illuminated with stunning light shows

Ancient French cathedrals illuminated with stunning light shows

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Cathedrals across France are being illuminated with stunning light shows, adding decoration and imagery or simply recreating the painted stonework of years gone by.

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Reims cathedral light show
Reims cathedral light show

Every Friday and Saturday night since mid-May, the 13th Century cathedral in the French city of Beauvais has been illuminated with a series of figures and effects, including flying angels and images from medieval manuscripts — and as the BBC reports, Beauvais isn't the only city to have received the treatment. For the 800th birthday celebrations of Reims's imposing cathedral last year, the building played host to a similar display, shown in the video below. In the northern city of Amiens earlier this year, the cathedral was lit up with a static display recreating its original painted facade. Aimed at natives as much as tourists, the shows are an ingenious way of restoring these old buildings to the hearts of their communities.