Amiens Cathedral

A Gothic cathedral in Amiens, Somme, dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Built almost entirely between 1220 and about 1270, it is the largest cathedral in France by volume and has been a World Heritage Site since 1981.

Amiens Cathedral, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Amiens, is the seat of the Bishop of Amiens. It stands on a slight ridge above the River Somme, about 120 km (75 mi) north of Paris. Almost all of it was built between 1220 and about 1270, which is fast for a cathedral of its size, so its style is remarkably consistent. It is an early example of High Gothic and of the Rayonnant style.

Its builders set out to make the interior as large and as full of light as they could. With a volume of about 200,000 cubic metres, it is the largest cathedral in France, more than twice the volume of Notre-Dame de Paris. Much of its original stained glass has been lost, but it is renowned for its early 13th-century sculpture on the west front and the south transept portal. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981.