Amiens

Amiens (map), the capital of Picardy, is famous for its cathedral Notre-Dame, the largest gothic cathedral in France. Work on its construction began in 1220 to house the head of St. John the Baptist, brought back from the Crusades in 1206. Amiens, thus, became a focal point for pilgrims. Notre-Dame was completed within 50 years and was (is) a masterpiece of engineering and gothic architecture. Restored in the 1850s by Viollet-le-Duc, unharmed during two World Wars, the cathedral is famous for its statues and reliefs. Of particular note are the King's Gallery of the West Front, the Weeping Angel and the Choir screens. As with other gothic cathedrals the stained glassed windows are also noteworthy.

Amiens Cathedral Project of Columbia University

Amiens Cathedral: Multimedia Project for the Columbia University Core Curriculum

Medieval Amiens Homepage (images by Alison Stones, The University of Pittsburgh)

Serpentists at Amiens Cathedral, by Douglas Yeo

Collage of Amiens

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Questions and comments to Vic Freund
Centralia College, Centralia, WA, 98531-4099. (360) 736-9391.

Last modified on: Friday, August 10, 2001