Amiens Cathedral is one of the most valuable examples of Gothic architecture in Europe. This magnificent temple is located in the city of Amiens (France), in a prominent place, in the area known as the "Color Valley of France".
Amiens City
This city is located in the north, almost halfway between Belgium and Paris, on the Somme River, 55 km from the English Channel (southeast). Amiens is a hospitable, spacious, bright city, located among the greenery of the gardens and waters of the Somme Canal, which cuts it into many blocks. It was rebuilt after the destructions caused during World War II, and it is now a major center for the production of footwear and textiles, mechanical engineering and metallurgy, and the food industry. For leisurely long walks, boulevards with linden alleys are located. It was not in vain that Jules Verne decided to make this corner a backwater, from where he went almost daily to imagined distant lands.
Canals around Amiens Cathedral
This cathedral is a cathedral belonging to the Catholic bishopric. The whole area around it is dotted with canals. They make up whole networks. 55 kilometers - their total length. These canals were dug several centuries ago by the Romans. The Cathedral has been protected by UNESCO since 1981, as it is a World Heritage Site. The French city of Amiens, in addition, is known for other religious monuments, of which there are many.
Construction history
The cathedral of interest to us was built in honor of St. Mary. It is also known as Notre Dame Cathedral. However, most people still prefer the common name. This is the largest cathedral in Europe. It is also one of the largest gothic temples in the world.
Amiens Cathedral was built on the site of an old building, which in 1218 was burned by lightning. According to the inscription on the remains of the "labyrinth", destroyed in 1825, its construction was begun from the western end in 1220. In 1236, the naves were finished. The choir was in 1247, but it suffered a fire shortly after completion. He took his final appearance in 1269. As early as the 13th century, the western facade was brought to a rose. However, in the 15th century it underwent a renewal. Then its upper parts were completed.
According to the inscriptions of the "labyrinth", the builders were three masters: Tom de Cormona, along with his son, Rene de Cormona, and Robert from Luzars. They worked in the period from 1220 to 1228, that is, at the same time when other masters erected the Reims Cathedral. The buttresses of the first tier were enlarged at the end of the 13th century, and the gaps between them became chapels.
Cathedral architecture
Chartres Cathedral served as a model for the construction of Amiens. This is a three-nave basilica with a developed choral part and a wide transept. The choral part of the cathedral is surrounded by a crown of chapels. Their number reaches seven. The middle of them is strongly advanced. Three naves have a transept. As in Chartres, the center of the middle cross coincides with the middle of the building in a structure such as Amiens Cathedral. His plan, however, is somewhat different from Chartres.
The Cathedral in Amiens is the largest of all in France. Its length (inside) is 118 meters (without the middle protruding chapel), and the average nave is 42.3 meters high. The width of the naves (excluding the side chapels) is 33 meters, the transept is 59 meters, and the choral part is 48 meters.
This cathedral has the same ratio between the width of the middle and side naves of the main "ship", as in Reims. It is approximately 9:14. But in the Reims Cathedral, the square nave grasses are square, and in Amiens they are rectangular (about 9x7 m). 14 meters is the width of the middle nave.
The interior in Amiens Cathedral is one. It smoothly opens up, deep into all directions. The composition of the middle nave is extremely simple: its overall height is halved by a cornice of the first tier. The longitudinal arcade, high raised, occupies the lower half. At an altitude of 18 meters, its castle roots are located, while only 9.5 m is the height of the arcade of the famous Paris Cathedral.
The south tower was erected around 1366, and the north - in 1401. The gothic architecture of this cathedral, even by today's standards, remains unsurpassed. Amiens Cathedral, together with Reims and Chartres, forms the Holy Trinity of the churches of France, which were named by the results of the vote a classic of the 13th century and high Gothic.
The architectural plan of the building we are interested in is similar to other Gothic cathedrals of the Middle Ages, including Notre Dame in Paris. Visitors today have a unique opportunity to climb the west tower, located on the roof of the building, and enjoy from there a breathtaking view of the cities of France.
Amiens Gate
The main entrance to the Cathedral of Amiens was named the Doors of the Doomsday. The walls of this building are decorated with various religious scenes that depict the resurrection of the dead, damned and saved by God, as well as the apocalyptic human Son with two swords coming out of his mouth and others. The gate located on the western facade, on the right side, is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. She is the patroness of this cathedral. On the left side, the gates of this facade are dedicated to the first Amiens bishop, Saint Firmin.
Light show
From December 1 to January 1, along with Christmas, the cathedral is illuminated with very beautiful lights as part of a light show. The atmosphere in the evening is complemented by magical shadows, music and playing light. Usually for 45 minutes, while the program lasts, you can watch a magnificent sight. This is a multi-colored illumination and a colored facade of Amiens Cathedral. This game of light and shadow is definitely worth a look. In addition to the facade itself, one after another highlights sculptures located on the western facade of the Amiens Cathedral.
The relics of John the Baptist inside the cathedral
This business card of Amiens is breathtaking. Once inside, you understand that not only the exterior decoration is magnificent. Inside this cathedral are the relics of John the Baptist. Within its walls, the head of this saint is carefully kept as a source of healing and the main goal of the pilgrimage of many believers. Thanks to these relics, according to old-timers, the Amiens Cathedral remained unharmed during the Nazi bombings. Approaching its walls, shells changed the trajectory and thus flew past.
When Christmas is celebrated, thousands of worshipers gather under the arches of this cathedral. Many of them come here from different parts of the world.
Sculptures inside
It is impossible to describe in words the magnificence of the temple. The Cathedral, a harmonious tower ensemble piercing the sky, is filled with a noble sound. Sifted with colored stained-glass windows, soft rainbow light casts iridescent glare to the middle cross located in the center of the hall. The abundance of sculptures on biblical themes emphasizes the elegance of the facade lines. Their total number is approximately 4,500. Nevertheless, the Amiens Cathedral in France in the use of sculptural decorations is not as rich as the Reims. It is also inferior to the latter in their quality. However, the portals of the Amiens Cathedral also have several beautiful statues, in the general interpretation and proportions of which there is a desire for realism and psychological expressiveness.
The Golden Madonna sculpture is exceptional in its sophistication and beauty. She is a real diamond in the diadem. In the rays of the sun, this sculpture radiates a peaceful radiance. The master in this creation managed to express beauty, naivety and spiritual purity. Above Madonna are the figures of the apostles. All figures are given natural poses. They all talk among themselves (the apostles - in paired groups, Mary - with the baby), realistic, alive.
The figure of Christ, located in the center of the middle portal, stands out for its correct proportions and majestic simplicity. The people sometimes call her "the beautiful God of Amiens."
The basement area of the portals is decorated with many medallions, in which there are reliefs with months of the year, zodiac signs, etc.
Gothic history
Gothic style arose in the mid-12th century in France. The most significant of his works in this country are the cathedrals of Reims, Amiens and Chartres. In France, a huge number of monuments belonging to the Gothic style remained, from huge cathedrals to chapels. In the 15th century, a period of "flaming Gothic" began, only a few examples of which have survived to this day. This, for example, the Parisian tower of Saint-Jacques and the Rouen Cathedral (one of its portals).
Features of the Gothic Amiens Cathedral
From the disunity and isolation of the space of Romanesque buildings to the unification of various spatial elements and the freedom of their interpretation, which is noted in the Paris Cathedral, Gothic has come more than half a century ago. However, it was in Amiens Cathedral that she came to the construction of a space that was classic for her. It freed itself in all dimensions from technical constraint, while maintaining tectonic clarity, as well as the constructive certainty of the lines, volumes and masses surrounding it. The feeling of freedom that creates space, the plastic expressiveness in the cathedral of load-bearing elements, the diffused light that gives volumetric forms to softness - all this creates the completeness of the composition of such a building as the Amiens Cathedral. The aesthetic features of this temple make it one of the most beautiful and magnificent buildings in the world.
This cathedral is sometimes compared with the ancient Parthenon of Greece. The highly artistic and rich decoration of the facades really puts him on a par with the greatest creations of world architecture.