Notre Dame de Paris is the only cathedral in northern France with two symetrical towers.Everyone knows all about the famous Notre Dame in Paris, complete with hunchback legend, but Cathedral Notre Dame de Paris is only one of several grand cathedrals that were built in northern France between 1100 and 1600 AD. Actually there are four that were built in the same mold, yet each with individual features that make it different from all the others (Paris, Amiens, Rouen, and Strasbourg). During our road trip to Amiens, one of my teammates, Romain Sauvage, decided that I needed to see more then just the hockey rink in Amiens. It was time to be truly amazed but an incredible building so on our way home, we took a little detour.
The Cathedral Notre Dame d'Amiens is the tallest complete cathedral in France and has the greatest interior volume due to height of the nave vaults. It is found in the center of Amiens and literally appears out of nowhere as you walk into a small square, unlike Notre Dame de Paris which is featured prominently in a large square on an island in the middle of the Seine river. Although holy places that should be respected, I cannot help but reflect on the construction of these buildings. The detail is facinating and the vaults are incredible to behold. In the time of modern machines, cranes, and skylifts, it is truly incredible how we do not make anything like these buildings that were made with nothing but mucsle power and creative thinking.
Notre Dame d'Amiens. Notice how one tower is shorter then the other.
Inside Notre Dame d'Amiens
One of the many chapels that ring the outside of the cathedrals. This one is at Notre Dame d'Amiens.
Stonework above the doorway of Notre Dame d'Amiens
It was a real treat to be able to go to the cathedral in Amiens and I have to thank Romain for educating me on a facinating part of his country's history. Now I just need to go back to Rouen and Strasbourg to complete the tour.
1 comment:
it was a pleasure
Post a Comment