Eagle’s Glory

At Maria's suggestion, the two came to visit Milan Cathedral together.

This church took several centuries to build, consuming unimaginable manpower and material resources. It was the largest Gothic building and the most magnificent marble building in the world at that time, covering an area of ​​more than 10,000 square meters. The highest point of the church's spire is more than 100 meters high, and it can almost be called a hill made of marble.

Moreover, unlike the ordinary hills, its outer walls, windows and columns are filled with exquisite reliefs, thousands in total, and there are 135 minarets standing on the roof, each with a It has exquisite character carvings.

Just standing in the distance outside the church is enough to feel the shock it brings.

The ancients probably used this intuitive way to show the power of faith and religion...

"It's amazing!" Maria was a little stunned when she saw it. "Although I have heard how majestic it is, I can only have an intuitive impression by seeing it in person."

"Yeah, it's really shocking." Aigron nodded. “It was here that the Roman Emperor Constantine promulgated the Edict of Milan, declaring that everyone in the Roman Empire had the freedom to believe in Christianity, returning confiscated church property, and recognizing the legal status of the Christian Church. . Since then, the people of Milan have believed that they occupy an important position in the history of Christianity. They would rather spend centuries building such a magnificent church just to highlight this status-"

"Ah, those poor Christians." Maria smiled and shrugged. "If they hadn't spread the doctrine without fear of sacrifice, we might not be able to inherit the Christian faith today."

"If there had been no Christianity, something similar to Christianity would have been invented and accepted by the public at that time." Aigron replied, "At that time, the order of the empire was collapsing, and even the Roman emperors were precarious and died one after another. The property and safety of citizens cannot be effectively protected. Poor people like them need a clear and simple belief as their spiritual sustenance... It is the pain in the world that brings the desire for religion, but as for its name, it is not So important.”

Agron's rather materialistic words were unconventional. If Maria had been a strict and devout Catholic, she would have been furious and scolded the young man.

However, Maria's attitude towards God was similar to that of her sister, so she was not angry.

"That's true." She nodded slightly, "Our family must be a devout Catholic because of our stance, but what's the point? Back then, Catholics and those Protestants Fighting each other on our German land,

There are ten rooms and nine empty rooms everywhere, but what did you get in exchange for it in the end? There was no redemption or mercy. God did not show His mercy. In the end, the Protestants won and preserved their territory and faith... So in fact, I don’t really believe in God’s will. He either does not exist or Either he is not omniscient and omnipotent, or he does not care about mortals at all, either way means that he is not the same god we pray to.

As for me, as long as God bless me, it doesn't matter to me whether I believe in God, Apollo or even Venus. The first thing is that I am more important. "

After a pause, she smiled slyly again, and then deliberately lowered her voice, "When we were receiving theological education from tutors when we were children, I already had similar doubts in my heart, but no matter it was No one could answer my doubts accurately, and eventually they got annoyed and told me to shut up and stop asking questions... Then I knew, God, in the final analysis, it was just that, everyone understood it but everyone knew it. We must regard Him as existing. Rather than saying that He is a god, we should say that He is history and habits, the symbol and link of civilization inheritance, and the symbolic evidence that we Germans survive in this world. Of course, these words are just my words. Just talk in private, if others find out that the princess of the Wittelsbach family is ideologically close to panbelievers or even atheists, God knows what will happen!"

Looking at her smile, Aigron couldn't help but smile knowingly.

At that time, when the religious reform was sweeping across Germany, a large number of German princes chose to join the religious reform camp, such as Saxony, Brandenburg, etc., but after some weighing, Bavaria still stood in the Catholic camp. This side.

Is the belief of the Wittelsbach family more firm and pious than that of other princes and nobles? That's not the case, because the Elector of Pfalz, who also came from the Wittelsbach family, joined the Protestant camp and fired the first shot against the Habsburg Emperor.

This is not so much a religious choice as a political stance chosen after careful consideration.

But whatever the reason, since then, Bavaria has always stood firmly on the side of the Catholic group. In the terrible Thirty Years' War, it has also always sided with the Habsburg Emperor. The Bavarian branch and the Purfa The Bavarian branch fought against each other until finally the Bavarian branch almost annexed most of the territory of the Pfalz branch through its victory in the civil war, and became the winner of the family competition.

The Thirty Years' War ended with the empire severely weakened and its population reduced drastically, but it was an opportunity for Bavaria to strengthen itself. During this series of wars, it became a powerful state that cannot be ignored in Germany. , has a place, and it has also secured the second position in the camp of Catholic princes in Germany, second only to the Habsburg Emperor.

Precisely because of this political stance, the descendants of the Wittelsbach family must also be devout Catholics, or not - who cares about what views they have on God in their hearts.

Eggron understands this very well - after all, in theory, Emperor Napoleon was a devout Catholic, and so was he...

Two generations of popes have personally testified that it is absolutely unmistakable.

It has to be said that although Maria is always sarcastic in her words, she is also witty and sharp, and she never cares about sensitive topics. She just wants to make herself happy and occasionally make some jokes that make outsiders look at her.

Compared to her sister, Maria is more outspoken and nonchalant.

Aigron didn't hate this kind of person, on the contrary, he found it interesting to talk to her, at least it wouldn't be boring social polite words.

They walked into the church and chatted with each other while admiring the furnishings and sculptures in the church. From time to time they joked about their ancestors and important figures in history. .

Aigron suddenly felt in his heart that even if he didn't have any other ulterior motives, he could still make friends with His Highness.

What's more, he really needs to please her and get her to agree to his plan.

Maria and Aiglon strolled inside the wide church, looking at the densely packed columns and sculptures in the church, as well as the stained glass, the altar, the exquisitely decorated window panes, and the icons, feeling There is a religious atmosphere inside.

"Completely lost..." Maria suddenly sighed, and then lowered her head slightly dejectedly. "We Bavarians can't surpass them no matter what. We can't build such a church. We can only feel embarrassed in front of the Italians!"

Eggron was surprised by Maria's unusual competitiveness. He didn't expect her to have such thoughts while touring.

But this also proves that she was really shocked by this cathedral.

"Perhaps you don't have to be sad about this. Milan is a rich city, and its citizens have spent hundreds of years on this church! With such a terrible expenditure of manpower and material resources, they can certainly get a breathtaking miracle. It’s normal that your country can’t compare to architecture.” So, he comforted Maria half-truthfully, “Besides, you have to believe in the determination and ability of future generations. Although you don’t have it in the current generation, maybe one day , a certain Bavarian king would also have built some breathtakingly beautiful palaces and castles that would complement some of the most beautiful buildings in the world.”

"Then this poor junior will be very unlucky." Maria giggled. "The Bavarians will be shocked and outraged by his extravagant spending, and then drive him off the throne!"

Aigron's eyes widened, and for a moment he was deeply shocked by Maria's joke.

Because she actually got it right.

"I can finally understand why your brother is so helpless towards you." Aigron smiled and whispered, "If he always hears you talking like this in person, he will probably lament in his heart why there are such deviant people in his family."

"It's just right that you mentioned my brother." Maria narrowed her eyes slightly, "I'm a deviant, but how many things have I really done that are outrageous to both humans and gods? I only committed crimes with words, but you guys It is practiced every day without hesitation! Since you all can feel no shame, why do I need to feel no shame?

Tell me, apart from the fact that he is a Catholic as the king and patriarch of the Wittelsbach family, how else does he look like a devout Christian? How different is he from the Turkish Sultan in his indulgence in wine, extravagant spending, and all kinds of evil habits? Rather, he and Sultan are just brothers wearing different skins. "

After complaining about her brother without any respect, Maria squinted her eyes and looked at the young man's face, and then asked jokingly, "So, our beloved Duke Lechstadt, what are your evil habits, those What’s the benefit of reneging on one’s word, cheating, dissipation, arrogance and murder?”

Now it was Aigron's turn to be speechless.

Well, it's fun to hear her rant about other people, but once she's exposed to her direct attacks, no one can take it easy.

The most damning thing is that she is actually right.

He couldn't make excuses in front of Maria, because although they had only met for a short time, there were few people in the world who were more aware of Aigron's misdeeds than she was.

Therefore, he could only look away awkwardly, and then tried to change the topic.

"We have already walked around the church. Do you want to go to the roof? There are many spiers and sculptures on it, and you can have a panoramic view of the entire city."

Maria nodded slightly. She could see that the young man wanted to interrupt the topic, but she also knew that enough was enough. Since she had already ridiculed the other person, that was enough. If he continued talking, everyone would be unhappy.

Since she is good at stabbing others, she is also good at stopping at just the right moment and confining everything to banter between friends.

There are a total of 6 steps to the top of the church. Visitors can hike to the top through hundreds of steps. Aiglon and Maria found the steps and walked up together.

But soon, Aigron noticed that Maria's pace was getting slower and slower, her face was slightly red, and she was obviously showing signs of being exhausted.

This is not surprising. As the princess who has always been idle, Maria is already fragile. In addition, she has walked such a long way today, and it is really uncomfortable for her to climb the stairs at this time.

That's just right.

He didn't say much, but extended his hand to Maria diligently.

Maria was stunned for a moment.

"As your playmate, I can't let you get tired; as a man, I can't just watch the ladies around me endure suffering." Aigron looked at her with a smile, "Miss, please allow me to be your crutch. Bar."

Maria's eyes flickered a little, as if she was thinking about something.

"What? What are you worried about? Don't you always put your own 'needs' above everything else? Now, I think what you need is help." Aigron continued, "Unless you choose to give up , let’s just go back and forget it.”

Then, Aigron's eyes also showed a bit of teasing and provocation - could it be that you were so rebellious just now and seemed not to be afraid of anything, but now you are afraid?

Perhaps it was this provocation that made Maria put aside her hesitation. She directly reached out and grabbed Aigron's hand, then leaned to the right and leaned part of her weight on the young man.

To the young man, this level of weight-bearing was nothing, so he restarted his steps with Maria's support, leading her to climb up the disintegration.

Soon after, they finally climbed to the roof of the church.

At this time, it was dusk, and the setting sun, like a golden hydrangea, was gradually sinking above the western horizon. In the afterglow of the sunset, the entire city was also displayed in front of them.

This magnificent sight immediately made both of them feel that their trip was worthwhile.

In addition, there is a very complicated stone bridge on the roof. There are a total of 33 stone bridges connecting various parts of the roof of the hall. The stone bridges themselves are also beautifully carved. Around the stone bridge, there are densely populated spiers, like a jungle made of marble.

These exquisite buildings can be called wonderful works of art, which amazed both Aigron and Maria. Of course, they would not notice that a shadow gradually lengthened by the setting sun finally came along the stone stairs they came up. above the roof.