World Heritage Identification Number: 162
World Heritage since: 1981
Category: Cultural Heritage
WHE Type: Religious Sites & Sacred Architecture
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇫🇷 France
Continent: Europe
UNESCO World Region: Europe and North America
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Amiens Cathedral: A Gothic Masterpiece in Picardy, France
The Amiens Cathedral, officially known as the Cathedral of Our Lady of Amiens, stands as a testament to the grandeur of Gothic architecture in Picardy, France. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981, this magnificent structure is not only the seat of the Bishop of Amiens but also a significant cultural landmark that attracts millions of visitors each year.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
Amiens Cathedral, in the heart of Picardy, is one of the largest 'classic' Gothic churches of the 13th century. It is notable for the coherence of its plan, the beauty of its three-tier interior elevation and the particularly fine display of sculptures on the principal facade and in the south transept.
UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site
Criterion (i): Amiens Cathedral, mainly built between 1220 to 1288, is a masterpiece of Gothic architecture for the beauty of its interior elevation, its prodigious sculpted decoration and its stained glass.
Criterion (ii): Amiens Cathedral exercised an important influence on the later development of Gothic architecture. Several of the solutions retained at Amiens heralded the advent of the flamboyant style in monumental architecture and sculpture.
Encyclopedia Record: Amiens Cathedral
The Cathedral of Our Lady of Amiens, or simply Amiens Cathedral, is a Catholic cathedral. The cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Amiens. It is situated on a slight ridge overlooking the River Somme in Amiens, the administrative capital of the Picardy region of France, some 120 kilometres north of Paris.Additional Site Details
Area: 1.54 hectares
Number of Components: 1
(ii) — Significant interchange of human values
Coordinates: 49.895 , 2.301666667
World Heritage Research
Discover scientific research and academic studies that deepen our understanding of Amiens Cathedral from its history and significance to its conservation, management, and contemporary challenges.
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Efficient reproduction of heritage buildings: a new way to exploit 3D point cloud slicing : An example with the Amiens Gothic Cathedral
Researchers have developed an innovative approach to visualize complex heritage buildings using 3D point cloud slicing, addressing the challenges of data overload and computational demands. This method enables efficient reproduction of intricate structures, such as Amiens Cathedral, by breaking down dense 3D models into manageable slices for web-based systems. The study demonstrates that this technique not only reduces the need for significant computing power but also enhances user comprehension through a generative web system designed for cultural mediation. User feedback confirms the effectiveness and accessibility of this approach, offering a scalable solution for digitized heritage visualization.
Groux-Leclet, D., Lentremy, J., Caron, G., & Mouaddib, E. (2018). Efficient reproduction of heritage buildings: a new way to exploit 3D point cloud slicing : An example with the Amiens Gothic Cathedral. 2018 3rd Digital Heritage International Congress (DigitalHERITAGE) Held Jointly with 2018 24th International Conference on Virtual Systems & Multimedia (VSMM 2018), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1109/digitalheritage.2018.8810106
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Validating the Use of Graphical Thrust Line Analysis for Pier Buttresses: The Case Study of Amiens Cathedral
Graphical thrust line analysis emerges as the most appropriate method for studying pier buttresses in historic masonry structures, such as Amiens Cathedral, challenging the widespread misuse of continuous modeling techniques like photoelasticity and finite element methods. This study demonstrates that discontinuous approaches—specifically discrete element methods and graphical thrust line analysis—more accurately reflect the physical behavior of unreinforced masonry, resolving longstanding debates about structural stability, including the placement of pinnacles. By comparing results from two prior continuous models with new discontinuous analyses, the research validates graphical thrust line analysis as a reliable tool for assessing historic structures while questioning the validity of continuous methods in such contexts.
Kavanaugh, C., Morris, I. M., Napolitano, R., & Jorquera-Lucerga, J. J. (2017). Validating the Use of Graphical Thrust Line Analysis for Pier Buttresses: The Case Study of Amiens Cathedral. International Journal of Architectural Heritage, 11(6), 859–870. https://doi.org/10.1080/15583058.2017.1317883
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A methodology for Raman structural quantification imaging and its application to iron indoor atmospheric corrosion products
Raman structural imaging has been advanced to quantitatively analyze corrosion products on ancient iron artifacts, offering new insights into the composition and structure of indoor atmospheric corrosion layers. This study introduces a novel methodology using home-developed software, LADIR-CAT, which extracts quantitative parameters from Raman hyperspectral maps. Applied to corroded iron samples from Amiens Cathedral, France, this approach enables detailed mapping of corrosion compounds, providing a deeper understanding of the degradation processes affecting historical metal structures. The findings contribute significantly to the preservation and study of cultural heritage materials, particularly those at risk from atmospheric corrosion.
Monnier, J., Bellot‐Gurlet, L., Baron, D., Neff, D., Guillot, I., & Dillmann, P. (2010). A methodology for Raman structural quantification imaging and its application to iron indoor atmospheric corrosion products. Journal of Raman Spectroscopy, 42(4), 773–781. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.2765
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