COVER N.116 - FRANCE

Postmark:  Bureau Philatélique 69 - Lyon Vaise - 16-05-2022
Posted on the 16thy May; received on the 20th May 2022
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On the  15th April 2019 all news services started with unfortunate images from the city of lights: a huge fire was destroying almost 9 centuries of Christian symbolism and one of the most beloved landmarks of Paris: La Cathédrale de Notre Dame de Paris  was on fire.

Firemen and volunteers rushed to the place to save all that could  still be protected form the ravenous flames and thanks to the sturdy stone structure, the fire was contained on the roof that was totally devastated, including the iconic spire that was supported by a wooden framework which also fell prey to the flames and collapsed.

Reacting swiftly to the sad event the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, immediately assured Parisiens that their beloved city symbol would be reconstructed and launched a fund raising campaign so as to reconstruct Notre Dane in time for the 2024 Olympics, but this goal is probably a bit ambitious, given the nature and amount of damages the cathedral suffered.

Calling on the attention of the public in general and of phillatelists in particular, starting on 17JUL2020, La Poste inaugurated a new annual stamp series, that will run during the years of the reconstruction of the cathedral, dedicated to the treasures of the much beloved building.

The issues have the format of  beautiful in taglio printed souvenir sheets with one stamp of the value for an international letter at the time of issuing.

So far, three of these beautiful souvenir sheets have been issued and I had been lucky to receive examples of the 2021 and 2022 issues, but now, thanks to Eric, to whom I could not, of course, be more grateful, my collection has samples of the 3 so far issued souvenir sheets.

The 2021 issue can be seen here

the 2022 issue can be seen here or here.

Stamps:

Single 1,40€ stamp souvenir sheet, issued on 17JUL20, first of the Trésors de Notre Dame annual series. The stamp highlights the immensely rich stone work of the façades of the Cathedral.

0,88 € stamp, issued on 14JUN2019,dedicated to the Abbey of Saint Philbert-de-Grand-Lieu, one of the few remaining examples of Carolingian architecture, dating back to the 9th century AD.