The misericords and history of the Cathédrale Notre-Dame d'Amiens.
Amiens Cathedral has 110 early 16th century misericords
History of the Cathédrale Notre-Dame d'Amienss
A fire in 1152 severely damaged the previous Romanesque cathedral, and a fire in 1218 was the final nail in its coffin. This could be classed as fortuitous timing, as by this time the Gothic style was sweeping across Europe, and France in particular was a great proponent. The building of the new Cathédrale Notre-Dame d'Amiens was started a mere 2 years later, and although not finally completed until 1402, most of the fabric was in plce by 1266, which means that stylistically, it is a whole. At 143 feet high, the ribbed nave vault is the tallest completed cathedral in France, with a wealth of stained glass running right up into the clerestory, and oculus windows above, give Amiens Cathedral an incredibly bright interior.
The misericords date from between 1508 and 1519. The misericords seem to show scenes of daily life for the well to do in the city. It is well worth noting the similarities and differences between the misericords at Amiens and those of a similar period from Beverley Minster, Manchester Cathedral or Ripon Minster, three of the greatest examples of English misericords.
As with Cologne Cathedral, Amiens cathedral was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1981, which for a building this beautiful is only fitting.
There does not appear as of July 2009 to be an official website.
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