The story of this place
Built with astonishing speed between 1220 and 1288 to house the supposed head of John the Baptist—brought back from the Fourth Crusade—Amiens Cathedral is the largest Gothic church in France, its interior volume roughly twice that of Notre-Dame de Paris, its vaults soaring 42 metres. John Ruskin devoted an entire book, The Bible of Amiens, to its sculpture. Its west front, carved with hundreds of biblical figures, was originally painted in vivid colours, now recreated each evening in a spectacular light show that restores the medieval polychromy. The city of Amiens saw fierce fighting in both World Wars but its cathedral survived; it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.