A Visit to Amiens Cathedral, France

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When we were touring France in our motor-home last year, we paid a visit to Amiens, some 120 kilometres (75 miles) north of Paris. We spent some time at the Roman Catholic cathedral there. Amiens Cathedral holds a number of records. It is the 19th largest church in the world and the tallest complete cathedral in France. It also has the greatest interior volume of any French cathedral, with an internal height of 42.30 metres (138.8 ft). Built between 1220 and c.1270, it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981. A labyrinth was installed in 1288. The spire is the largest in France and was added between 1529 and 1533. Carvings above the central portal or door depict The Last Judgement. Although it has lost most of its original stained glass, some remains. Amiens Cathedral is renowned for the quality and quantity of early 13th-century Gothic sculpture. The cathedral also houses the alleged head of John the Baptist. In the 1990s, laser cleaning revealed that the western façade of the cathedral was originally painted in multiple colours. Elaborate lighting techniques were developed to project these colours directly on the façade, recreating the polychromatic appearance of the 13th century. Son et Lumière shows are held on summer evenings, during the Christmas Fair, and over the New Year. During World War I there was extensive sandbagging of both the interior and exterior in an effort to minimise damage. A plaque within the Cathedral commemorates the contribution made by Australian soldiers in 1918, in fighting alongside French soldiers in defending Amiens against the Germans. Despite their attempts, there was considerable damage to the Cathedral. I couldn't help but marvel at the frantic and mighty efforts of those who filled and hauled sand-bags in the hope of minimising any damage to come. What a dreadful time it must have been for them. Today, Amiens Cathedral is a place of beauty and peace.