Amiens Cathedral

About this place

Built largely between 1220 and about 1270, Amiens Cathedral achieved an unusual consistency for such a vast Gothic project. Its architects sought exceptional height, volume and light, using the structure to create an overwhelming sense of scale. The relatively concentrated building campaign helps explain why the interior feels so coherent. Look upward to follow the relationship between pillars, vaults and high windows. Rather than viewing size as an end in itself, consider how the builders used space to shape the experience of worship and express the ambitions of a medieval city.