There are some icons that we can't imagine ever falling, and when they do, it feels a little like the end of the world.
Paris residents and fans of Parisian culture fear the end of an era after the blades of the iconic windmill on top of Paris's most legendary nightclub, the Moulin Rouge, mysteriously fell off in the middle of the night on the 25th of April.
Known worldwide as "the City of Love" and "the City of Lights," as well as for its art, fashion, and culture, one of Paris's fixtures across time has been the Moulin Rouge, not just because of the musical, but for that bright red windmill mounted to the roof.
At 3:00 AM, the windmill blades were discovered on the ground, with no sign of vandalism and after a clean "bill of health" during the windmill's most recent inspection. In addition to the blades being on the ground, the first three letters of the Moulin Rouge were also found on the ground.
The blades and letters have since been collected, and no one was in the vicinity when the items fell, so fortunately, no one was hurt.
But what caused the blades and letters to fall remains a mystery, and some claim an omen.
What makes the whole matter stranger is that nothing like this has happened since the windmill's foundation 135 years ago.
The venue’s general manager Jean-Victor Clerico confirmed:
"The Moulin Rouge, in 135 years of history, has experienced many adventures but it is true that for the wings, this is the first time that this has happened."
"A little before 2:00 AM, the wings of the windmill gave way, fell on the boulevard and fortunately at this time the boulevard was empty of passers-by.”
Parisians and fans of Parisian culture were stumped and mortified at the fall.
The investigation into what happened is ongoing, and it's unclear what will be done with the windmill.
There's a chance that the blades will be repaired and reattached, and the letters should be easy enough to reposition, but it's unclear if that's the current plan.
But it's hard to imagine the Moulin Rouge, home of the can-can, as anything other than the famous nightclub with the windmill on top.
