Notre-Dame d'Amiens

Our next foray into the majestic world of the Gothic cathedral takes us to Picardie, France and Notre-Dame d'Amiens (Our Lady of Amiens). This cathedral was built in the High Gothic style between the years of 1220-1270. (Due to the many fires at Amiens over the preceding years, most of the written records pertaining to the church were destroyed.)

Amiens cathedral is one of the tallest, complete cathedrals in France, but is superseded by the incomplete cathedral at Beauvais. Amiens is the 19th largest church in France and has the second highest nave in France, at 177 ft, Amiens is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as well as a French Historical monument. It is most known for its spectacular artwork and sculpture both inside and outside.

Interesting fact: Writer Jules Verne lived with his wife, Honorine de Viane Morel, in Amiens from 1882-1900, where he wrote his series of "Voyages Extraordinaires" (which includes "Around the World in 80 Days", "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" and "Journey to the Center of the Earth").

Building A Monument

Amiens was the first cathedral to be created to house a sacred religious relic, the head of John the Baptist. The alleged head (as it was never truly confirmed that it was the head of John the Baptist) had been taken from the city of Constantinople in 1204, when the city was pillaged during the crusades. The relic attracted those who were deaf, mute and blind, those that suffered from “St. John’s disease" (now known as epilepsy) because they believed these relics were holy and could cure them of their ailments. Similar to Saint Denis, it could not hold all those who would come to visit.

Interesting Fact: The head of St. John the Baptist has been divided in half. The back half (or occipital) part of the skull rests at Amiens while the other half resides at Sainte-Chapelle.

In approximately 1218, the original Romanesque church was hit by lightning, destroying most of the building. It was then decided to use this opportunity to build a new, grand cathedral that could hold all those who would journey to the church. The bishop of the cathedral at that period, Evrard de Fouilloy, wanted his cathedral to be THE site for the center of Christianity, similar to Ste. Chapelle. His cathedral would become a magnificent stone Bible that would teach people about Christianity and the scriptures by relating stories and lessons through its art and architecture.

It has been surmised that construction of the new cathedral began sometime around 1220, under the guidance of Bishop Fouilloy and the architectural design of Robert de Luzarches. However, in 1247 a new bishop took over and decided to halt any further construction of the cathedral due to lack of funding. For more than 11 years the site had become empty, the partially built cathedral stoically standing, awaiting to be completed. Another fire once again marred the cathedral, this time in 1258. Fortunately, only the apse chapels had become the victim this time. But, once again, this fire proved to be a good thing for the cathedral, as people rallied for its construction to resume. It wasn't long before the choir was completed and the cathedral became operational, serving its grateful community of believers. The remaining construction moved ahead, with the building of the two external towers and by 1288 the spire over the transept was built, standing at an astonishing 370 feet!

Outside the Cathedral

 

The western facade dominates the cathedral with its magnificent portals that beckon those who stand there to come inside. But one could linger about just going from portal to portal, being amazed by what is there. The portals are so deep that they could actually be considered porches.

Gallery of Kings, Amiens

Above the portals sits the Gallery of Kings, a row of 22 oversized statues, which spans the entire length of the portals. It portrays The Tree of Jesse, which are those who are believed to be the lineage of Christ (His relatives from the Old Testament). Above that sits the rose window, with its decorative tracery. Above the rose window there is an open arcade, the galerie des sonneurs, or the Bellman's gallery. There are also decorative embellishments that were added in the 19th century by architect Eugene Viollet-le-Duc, as well as the ornamentation on the arches on the Gallery of Kings.

 The Portals

The north portal is dedicated to Saint Firmin, a Spanish missionary, who founded the original church at Amiens in the third century. The tympanum tells the history of Saint Firmin, from the story of his arrival in Amiens, his work in converting people to Christianity, his martyrdom and the miracle of the discovery of his relics. This discovery of Saint Firmin's remains is the heart of the story of this cathedral. This is evident in the way it leads us to where the saint's relics are interned. They are in an ornately beautiful silver and gold châsse in the center of the elevated relic tribune, which is directly behind the main altar at the center of the sanctuary.

In the center, Saint Firmin stands in blessing on the trumeau between the two doors that lead to the north aisles of the cathedral. He is flanked by jamb statues of other local saints and martyrs.

The right portal depicts Mary, the mother of Christ, in several different scenes. On the trumeau, Mary is holding the infant Christ in her left arm, while she extends her right arm to the visitors. Below her feet she is stepping on some sort of half-man, half-lizard creature, symbolising that she is stamping out evil. She is wearing a crown, as she is the Queen of Heaven. Above her is a scene that contains the Ark of the Covenant, which is believed to hold the Ten Commandments. On either side of the Ark are figures which we can assume are Mary's Old Testament relatives. 

In the tympanum above Mary are two stories relating to her life. The one of the left depicts her dormition (death). Being the Holy Virgin, Mary did not necessarily die. She lay dormant in physical space, but very much alive in Heaven. Which leads us to the right hand side, where we see her ascending into heaven, accompanied by angels, bearing her physical form. The top of the tympanum depicts Mary's coronation, as angels gently place a crown atop her head. This is yet another common theme in Gothic architecture and art. Mary was venerated and revered by the Catholics, as she is known as the intercessor between man and Christ.

The jamb statues in Mary's portal relates the story leading up to the birth of Christ. On the left is The Annunciation, where she is being told by the archangel Gabriel that she will bear the Son of God. And on the right, is The Visitation. Here, Mary is being visited by her cousin, Elizabeth, who is pregnant with John the Baptist while Mary is visibly pregnant with Christ. As we look at these statues, they seem more natural. You can see a hint of emotion, the natural draping of the material worn by the figures, almost in a three dimensional way.

Next is the large center portal, known as The Portal of the Beau Dieu (beautiful God). It is here that we see Christ represented in three different ways. As you look at the center of the two immense doors, on the trumeau, there is an elaborately carved statue of the risen Christ. This particular piece was done in the first half of the thirteenth century and is considered a masterpiece of Gothic sculpture. We see Christ holding a Bible in His left hand and holding His right hand up, perhaps in a blessing for those passing through the portals as they enter the holy sanctuary. The folds of the robes that Christ is wearing seem to bring the eye upwards, making the bible in His hand more noticeable. One could take it to mean that the answers we seek are within the pages of this text as well as looking to Heaven for guidance. As we look down, we see three creatures under His feet, a lion, a lamb (usually representative of Christ, however in this interpretation they represent evil) and maybe a snake. We see, yet again, the recurrent theme of Christ overcoming evil.

If we look up to the tympanum above Christ, we see Him portrayed in the Last Judgement. His hands are raised in a rather defensive looking way. On each side of Him are angels. The angels that are kneeling appear to be praying or praising Christ. The two middle ones are carrying the symbols of Christ's persecution, the cross and the spear. Next to Christ, are Mary and St. John. Looking further up, we see Christ portrayed in a scene from the Book of Revelation that says: 

"In His right hand He held seven stars. A  sharp two-edged sword
    came out of His mouth, and His face shone like the sun at its
    brightest". (Rev 1:16, NAB)

We can see Christ holding two swords at His mouth as angels float next to Him, one with the sun and one with the moon. This portal is a grave reminder to those entering the cathedral that what you do while here on earth can effect you in the afterlife, you will either be with the blessed or the damned. This concept is vividly illustrated in the register below Christ. On the right are naked figures, the ones who are damned, as they are being forcibly lead into the mouths of hell. We see the closest figures trying to escape while the hand of the devil pulls them in. There is no escape for those who have not chosen the "good path" in life. In contrast, we see the ones on the left, those who are "blessed", those who have lead a good life according to the precepts from the Bible. They are being gently guided into heaven by the angels. The angels above the blessed place crowns upon their heads as they enter. 

The Interior of Amiens

 

I. Where Did The Stained Glass Windows Go?

People who enter the cathedral are treated to a delight of the senses, with its ethereal feeling created by the soaring heights of the nave and choir, as well as the light pouring in through its many windows. One does notice, however, the lack of stained glass windows that usually proliferates Gothic cathedrals. This is most noticeable as we look up into the clerestory.

Originally Amiens had those remarkable stained glass windows, but when WW I broke out, the ancient windows were taken out in order to protect them. They were stored away and replaced with clear glass windows. However, as fate would have it, the studio where the windows were being stored caught fire, destroying almost all of them!(Methinks this cathedral is some how cursed...anyone want to make offerings to the god of fire?! LOL) 

II. The Choir 

The eastern arm of the cathedral is commonly called the choir, this is the area where the clergy sat and sang. Much of the remaining rows of choir stalls date back to the 16th century. They have over 4.000 figures carved into them! The ambulatory that surrounds the choir is adorned with multicolored sculpture dating from the 15th and 16th centuries. On either side of the ambulatory are statues representing two of the saints that patrons would flock to the cathedral to pay homage to, that of John the Baptist and St. Firmin.

One cannot help but notice the stunning Baroque era pulpit. It is made of marble and gilded wood and supported by three female figures, believed to represent the virtues of faith, hope and charity. These were sculpted by Jean-Baptist Michel Dupuis.

III. The Recumbent Bronzes

Much like Sainte-Chapelle, Amiens can be considered a very large reliquary because of the artifacts that reside there. Included among them are two bronze tombs, those of the ones who had established the cathedral. This is best summed up by this quote that I found:

"Two remarkable monuments of bronze, at the entrance of the nave from the western porch, were erected in memory of the founders of the church, Bishops Evrard and Gaudefroy. Upon the cenotaph of Evrard, the bishop is represented giving his benediction and trampling under his feet two dragons; round the tomb is a leonine inscription in Lombardic characters. The cenotaph of Bishop Gaudefroy d'Eu, on the opposite side of the entrance, and of the same material, differs little in its design and execution from that of Evrard. Both monuments were formerly placed in the middle of the nave, but were removed to the present site in 1762. Monuments of bronze are extremely rare in France, in consequence of the desecration of the churches of this kingdom during the eventful revolution of 1789. [p. 23, French cathedrals by Benjamin Winkles, Robert Garland, 1837]

IV.  The Labyrinth

The labyrinth has long been associated with a spiritual connection to God. They can be seen in several different cultures, including the Greek and Egyptian. The design is an ancient symbol that uses the combined geometry of a circle and spiral, and turn it into a winding path. It is used as a method for introspection, meditation and prayer. The labyrinth can be seen as the journey we are all on in life, finding just the right path. And much like life, It twists and turns, but never dead-ends.
 
The labyrinth at Amiens is connected to the labyrinth of Chartres Cathedral as it has the same arrangement of the path, as well as the same width of the path. However, it differs in the fact that the shape of the one at Amiens is more of an octagonal shape, whereas the one at Chartres is round. In the center of the labyrinth is a medallion that memorializes the construction of the cathedral. The inscription on the outer edge of the medallion says:

"In the year of grace 1220 was this work first begun. At that time the bishop of this diocese was Evrard, blessed bishop. And the king of France was Louis who was the son of Philip the Wise.  He who was master of the work was named Master Robert and surnamed de Luzarches. Master Thomas de Cormont was after him and afterwards his son Master Renaud who had this inscription placed here in the year of incarnation 1288."

The inscription relates the chain of master masons who designed the cathedral. The first being master mason, Robert de Luzarches, who laid out the plan that resulted in expansive spaces in the center of the cathedral. Luzarches worked with another master mason, Thomas de Cormont who finished the work on the upper nave as well as starting the work on the choir.  Cormont's son Renaud built the upper choir, and installed the pavement that included labyrinth.

Structural Faults

The race for higher and lighter often ended in disaster. We see this in both Beauvais and in Amiens. Engineering at that time was just burgeoning, and lessons were being learned the hard way. In the latter half of the fifteenth century, Amiens started to crumble. First, the large central bays began to fail. The main crossing piers that supported the massive vaults begun to buckle inwards at the level of the arcade, and was in danger of collapse. This was a result of insufficient reinforcement to carry the weight of the vault during the original construction. In order to fix this, a series of iron rods linked together, running the length of the nave, were installed. This was done while the rods were still red hot. As the iron cooled, the rods would tighten, similar to a cinch (think of pulling a belt tight). While this helped the situation with the flyers, there was more to come. 
 
The next to go were the exterior choir "flyers" (the arch that connects the buttress to the structure). This was because the buttresses were placed too high. As a result, the gravitational forces from the ceiling arch began pushing outwards, resulting in an excessive lateral load on the vertical columns. By now, the massive structure was in danger of collapsing. This was fixed by building a second row of buttresses underneath the original ones. However, this didn't completely fix the issue. Eventually large cracks started to develop in the walls of the arcade. If the walls continued to crack, the pillars would collapse, and the entire cathedral could come down in a heap of rubble. This was remedied by using an iron girdle to keep the columns where they were, as well as keeping them from buckling outwards.

 

The Life of a Cathedral

The life of a cathedral is fluid. The throngs of people who come and go through the cathedral now, mimic what life was like at the time of the cathedrals in France. However, at that time, people would come to the cathedral to venerate the saints, ask for intercession, celebrate the numerous feast days within the Catholic calendar, as well as attend market fairs that were held in and around the cathedrals. Now, those who come are mostly tourists. Though the influx of revenue generated by these tourists adds to the financial coffers for the maintenance of the cathedral, their presence no doubt adds unwitting damage to this graceful lady. But, she will probably still be standing long after we are gone.