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 conspicuous place, in the area known as the "Colored Valley of France".
City of Amiens
This city is located in the north, almost halfway between Belgium and Paris, on the Somme River, 55 km from the English Channel (to the southeast). Amiens is a hospitable, spacious, bright city, nestled among the greenery of gardens and the waters of the Somme canal, which cuts it into many quarters. It was rebuilt almost anew after the destruction inflicted during the Second World War and is now a major center for the production of shoes and textiles, mechanical engineering and metallurgy, and the food industry. Boulevards with linden alleys are located for unhurried long walks. It was not in vain that Jules Verne decided to make this corner a backwater, from where he traveled almost daily to distant lands drawn by the imagination.
Canals around Amiens Cathedral
This cathedral is a catholic cathedralepiscopacy. The entire area around it is dotted with canals. They make up entire networks. 55 kilometers - their total length. These channels were dug several centuries ago by the Romans. The cathedral has been under the protection of UNESCO since 1981, as it is a World Heritage Site. The French city of Amiens is also known for other religious monuments, of which there are many.
Construction history
The cathedral we are interested in was built in honor of St. Mary. It is also known as the Cathedral of Our Lady of Amiens. 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.
The Amiens Cathedral was erected on the site of an old building that was burned down by lightning in 1218. According to the inscription on the remains of the "labyrinth", destroyed in 1825, its construction was started from the western end in 1220. The naves were completed in 1236. Choir - in 1247, but it was damaged by fire shortly after completion. It took its final form in 1269. As early as the 13th century, the western façade was finished to a rose. However, in the 15th century it underwent renovation. At the same time, its upper parts were completed.
According to the inscriptions of the "labyrinth", the builders were three masters: Tom de Cormona, together with his son, Rene de Cormona, and also Robert from Luzarsh. They worked in the period from 1220 to 1228, that is, at the same time when other masters were building the Reims Cathedral. The buttresses of the first tier were enlarged at the end of 13centuries, and the spaces 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 choir 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 pushed forward. Three naves have a transept. As in Chartres, the center of the crossing coincides with the middle of the building in such a structure as the Amiens Cathedral. Its plan, however, is somewhat different from Chartres.
The Amiens Cathedral is the largest of all located in France. Its length (inside) is 118 meters (without the middle protruding chapel), and the middle nave reaches a height of 42.3 meters. The width of the naves (excluding the side chapels) is 33 meters, the transept is 59 meters and the choir is 48 meters.
This cathedral has the same ratio between the width of the middle and side aisles of the main "ship" as in Reims. It is approximately 9:14. But in the Reims Cathedral, the traves of the side aisles have a square shape, while in Amiens they are rectangular (about 9x7 m). 14 meters is the width of the middle nave.
The interior of the Amiens Cathedral is one. It smoothly opens up, in depth, in all directions. The composition of the middle nave is extremely simple: its total height is bisected by the cornice of the first tier. The longitudinal arcade, raised high, occupies the lower half. At a height of 18 meters, its castle roots are located, while only 9.5 mis the height of the arcade of the famous Paris Cathedral.
The south tower was built around 1366 and the north tower was built around 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 France's churches, which were voted 13th-century classic and high gothic.
The architectural plan of the building we are interested in is similar to other Gothic cathedrals of the Middle Ages, including the Parisian Notre Dame. Visitors today have a unique opportunity to climb the western tower, located on the roof of the building, and enjoy a breathtaking view of the cities of France from there.
Gate of Amiens
The main entrance to the Amiens Cathedral was named the Gate of Doomsday. The walls of this building are decorated with various religious scenes that depict the resurrection of the dead, the damned and saved by God, as well as the apocalyptic human Son with two swords coming out of his mouth, etc. The gate located at the western facade, on the right side, is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It is she who is the patroness of this cathedral. On the left side, the gate of this façade is dedicated to the first Bishop of Amiens, 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 within 45 minutes untilthe program lasts, you can watch a magnificent spectacle. This is a multi-colored illumination and a colored facade of the Amiens Cathedral. This play of light and shadow is definitely worth a look. In addition to the façade itself, sculptures on the west façade of Amiens Cathedral are illuminated one after another.
The relics of John the Baptist inside the Cathedral
This business card of the city of Amiens is breathtaking. Once inside, you understand that not only the external decoration is distinguished by its splendor. 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. It was thanks to these relics, according to the old-timers, that the Amiens Cathedral remained unharmed during the Nazi bombings. Approaching its walls, the shells changed their trajectory and thus flew past.
When Christmas is celebrated, thousands of parishioners gather under the vaults of this cathedral. Many of them come here from all over the world.
Sculptures inside
Words cannot describe the splendor of the temple. The cathedral, piercing the sky with a slender tower ensemble, is filled with blissful sound. The soft iridescent light sifted by colored stained-glass windows casts iridescent reflections on the middle cross located in the center of the hall. The abundance of sculptures on biblical themes emphasizes the elegance of the lines of the facade. Their total number is approximately 4500. Nevertheless, Amiens Cathedral in France is not as rich in the use of sculptural decorations as Reims. He alsoinferior 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 a desire for realism and psychological expressiveness is revealed.
The sculpture "Golden Madonna" is exceptional in its refinement and beauty. She is a real diamond in a diadem. In the rays of the sun, this sculpture radiates a peaceful glow. The master in this creation managed to express beauty, naivety and spiritual purity. Above the Madonna are the figures of the apostles. All figures are given natural poses. All of them are talking to each other (the apostles - in pairs, Mary - with a baby), realistic, alive.
The figure of Christ, located in the center of the middle portal, stands out for its correct proportions and majestic simplicity. She is sometimes called "the beautiful God of Amiens" by the people.
The basement area of the portals is decorated with many medallions, which contain reliefs with the months of the year, signs of the zodiac, etc.
Gothic History
Gothic style originated in the middle of the 12th century in France. His most significant works in this country are the cathedrals of Reims, Amiens and Chartres. In France, a huge number of monuments belonging to the Gothic style remain, 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. These are, for example, the Paris Saint-Jacques tower and Rouen Cathedral (one of itsportals).
Gothic Features of Amiens Cathedral
From the disunity and isolation of the space of Romanesque buildings to the unification of various spatial elements and their freedom of interpretation, which is noted in the Paris Cathedral, Gothic has come a long way in more than half a century. However, it was in the Amiens Cathedral that she came to the construction of a space that was classical for her. It was freed in all dimensions from technical constraint, while retaining tectonic clarity, as well as constructive certainty of lines, volumes and masses surrounding it. The feeling of freedom that space creates, the plastic expressiveness of the load-bearing elements in the cathedral, the diffused light that gives volumetric forms 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 majestic structures in the world.
This cathedral is sometimes compared with the ancient Greek Parthenon. The highly artistic and rich decoration of the facades really puts it on a par with the greatest creations of world architecture.
