Amiens is on the Somme river in the province of
Picardy in the Department of the Somme in northwest France. It is about 82 miles
northwest of Paris and just under 100 miles south of the ferry port of Calais. This region of France was fought over in both
World Wars. The road we took to Amiens from Lille in the northeast went by many cimitieres (cemeteries) in which were buried
the dead of many countries, segregated by their nationalities, just as they were when they were alive. We saw cemeteries
of Germans, French, British, Australians, New Zealanders, South Africans, Canadians and Americans. Most fell
in
battles of the Somme during WWI. This whole region suffered destruction on a huge scale.
We went to Amiens
for one reason, and it was a good one: To see its
Cathedral, among the most beautiful anywhere, a
UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Either it was not destroyed in the two wars, which we think is the case, or it was supurbly reconstructed. There are other
attractions in Amiens, which you can investigate on the
Amiens Tourist office website, but none seem to us to be in the same category
as the Cathedral.
The UNESCO web site says this : "Amiens Cathedral, in the heart of Picardy, is one of the largest 'classic'
Gothic churches of the 13th century. It is notable for the coherence of its plan, the beauty of its three-tier interior elevation
and the particularly fine display of sculptures on the principal facade and in the south transept." The main reason for "the
coherence of its plan" is that its construction was designed and supervised by only three architects over a very short time span
compared to most other Cathedrals. The whole West Front was constructed in only 16 years, from 1220 to 1236. The completion
date of the whole structure is given as 1266, although finishing work went on beyond that date.
