AMIENS, FRANCE

AMIENS CATHEDRAL, ALSO KNOWN AS NOTRE DAME OF AMIENS IS THE LARGEST COMPLETED CATHEDRAL IN FRANCE.  IF IT HAD BEEN COMPLETED, BEAUVAIS WOULD HAVE SURPASSED AMIENS IN SIZE.  WE STOPPED HERE ON THE WAY TO SEE OMAHA BEACH IN NORMANDY, FRANCE. 

 THE SCULPTURES ON THE EXTERIOR ARE UNMATCHED.  THE CHURCH WAS BUILT IN 1152 BUT AS WHAT SEEMS TO BE A RIGHT OF PASSAGE OF THESE CATHEDRALS, IT WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE.  RECONSTRUCTION STARTED IN 1220 AND CONTINUED ON AND OFF UNTIL COMPLETION IN 1288.  A CENTURY LATER THE SOUTH TOWER WAS BUILT AND THEN IN 1401 THE NORTH TOWER.  THERE WAS GREAT COMPETITION IN THE 13TH CENTURY TO BUILD THE BIGGEST AND BEST CATHEDRAL.  THE REASON THEY BUILT THIS CHURCH IS THAT THE SKULL OF JOHN THE BAPTIST WAS BROUGHT HERE AFTER THE FOURTH CRUSADE.  I BELIEVE IT DOES NOT EXIST ANYMORE BUT THEY STILL LIKE TO TOUT IT AS THEIR HOLY RELIC.

SURPRISINGLY, THE CHURCH WAS NEARLY UNTOUCHED DURING THE FRENCH REVOLUTION.   THE FLOORS HAVE UNIQUE DESIGNS THROUGHOUT.   INCLUDING A LABYRINTH WHICH WAS ADDED IN 1288.   THERE IS ALSO A "BENT CROSS" WHICH SYMBOLIZES JESUS' TRIUMPH OVER DEATH. 

THE STATUES JUST BELOW THE LARGE STAINED GLASS WINDOW ARE SAINTS AND THEY ONE AND A HALF LIFE SIZE.  

I LIKE THIS PHOTO BECAUSE IT REALLY GIVES THE CHURCH SOME SCALE.  

THERE ARE 126 PILLARS IN THE CHURCH

I COULDN'T GET A GOOD ANGLE TO TAKE A PHOTO OF THE REAL LABRYNTH ON THE FLOOR SO I SUBSTITUTED WITH THIS PHOTO! 

I ALMOST WANT TO REFER TO THESE AS STORYBOARDS.  THEY WERE SO INTRICATE IN DETAIL.   

I LIKE HOW THEY GAVE THE PAINTING A 3D LOOK 

THE STORY CONTINUES (AND ENDS) FOR JOHN THE BAPTIST

THE CHURCH ALMOST FELL, LITERALLY I THE 16TH CENTURY.   IT WAS NOTICED BY A RENOWNED ARCHITECT THAT THERE WERE FAULT FORMING IN THE FLYING BUTTRESSES.   THE WALLS WERE SECURED BY SURROUNDING THE CHURCH WITH AN IRON WALL TIE.  IT WAS PUT INTO PLACE WHILE THE IRON WAS STILL HOT SO THAT AS IT COOLED IT TIGHTENED UP THE WALLS TO WHICH IT WAS SECURED.  

DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR THE CATHEDRAL SUFFERED SOME DAMAGE DURING ATTACKS BY THE GERMAN TROOPS.  THE WORST POTENTIAL DAMAGE WAS AVERTED IN 1918 BY POPE BENEDICT XV WHEN HE MADE A REQUEST TO THE GERMANS TO STOP AIMING AT THE CATHEDRAL.   DURING WORLD WAR 2 SUCCESSIVE BOMBINGS BY BOTH THE GERMANS AND THE ALLIED TROOPS CAUSED MUCH DAMAGE TO THE CITY OF AMIENS BUT MIRACULOUSLY SPARED THE CATHEDRAL.  

THE CRYING ANGEL;

JOHN THE BAPTIST

DURING A LASER CLEANING OF THE FACADE IN THE 1990s IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE FRONT ENTRANCE TO THE CHURCH WAS ORIGINALLY PAINTED IN MULTIPLE COLORS.   THEY ESTIMATE THAT THE PAINT WAS FROM THE 1200s.  ELABORATE LIGHTING TECHNIQUES WERE DEVELOPED TO PROJECT THESE COLORS DIRECTLY ON THE FACADE JUST AS THEY WERE ORIGINALLY PAINTED.  

THE LIGHTING OF THE FACADE IS A NIGHTLY EVENT DURING THE SUMMER SEASON;

THE CHURCH REALLY STANDS HEAD AND SHOULDERS ABOVE THE CITY OF AMIENS

DINANT, BELGIUM

THE TOWN OF DINANT IS IN THE PROVINCE OF NAMUR WHICH IS SOUTH OF WHERE WE LIVE.  DRIVING SOUTH WE FIRST GO THROUGH THE FLAT LANDSCAPE OF CENTRAL BELGIUM AND THEN YOU START TO SEE THE ROLLING HILLS AND RIDGES THAT FORM THE ARDENNES MOUNTAIN RANGE.  WE DROVE DOWN INTO THE VALLEY WHERE DINANT IS LOCATED RIGHT ALONG THE MEUSE RIVER.  A BEAUTIFUL LOCATION.  THE TOWN WAS MUCH BIGGER THAN I EXPECTED.

FIRST THING WE SAW AS WE CAME INTO TOWN WAS THIS GREAT ROCK FORMATION.  THE FORMATION IS SAID TO BE MADE BY THE MIGHTY KICK FROM A BAYARD HORSE, WHICH IS A MAGIC BAY HORSE IN FRENCH STORIES THAT CAN ADJUST IT'S SIZE TO THE SIZE OF IT'S RIDERS.  

THE RIVER MEUSE

THIS IS THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF NOTRE DAME (NOW KNOWN AS THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF OUR LADY).  IT IS LCOATED AT THE BASE OF A HUGE CLIFF IN THE CITY OF DINANT, BELGIUM.  THIS ISN'T THE FIRST CHURCH TO BE BUILT ON THIS SITE.  THE FIRST CHURCH WAS BUILT HERE IN 934.  IN 1228 THAT CHURCH WAS DESTROYED WHEN THE CLIFF BEHIND IT COLLAPSED, LEAVING JUST THE FRONT DOOR STANDING.  THE CHURCH WAS THEN REBUILT IN 1472.  THE BULBOUS ROOF WAS ADDED IN 1566.

THE CHURCH WAS AGAIN DESTROYED IN AUGUST OF 1914 WHEN THE GERMANS INVADED THE CITY IN A HORRIBLE BLOODY MASSACRE WHICH KILLED 10% OF THE POPULATION; INCLUDING WOMEN AND CHILDREN.  MORE DAMAGE WAS INFLICTED ON THE CHURCH DURING WORLD WAR II.

WOODEN/PLASTER SCULPTURES - DATING TO 1740s

THE INTERIOR HAS A GREENISH GLOW TO IT DUE TO THE COLOR OF THE GLASS WINDOWS

THIS STAINED GLASS WINDOW IS HUGE AND UNBELIEVABLY DETAILED WITH STORIES OF THE BIBLE.

AN UNUSUAL MODERN STYLE STAINED GLASS 

YOU CAN SEE THE CLIFF DIRECTLY BEHIND THE CHURCH.  THE CITIDEL IS AT THE TOP.

A GREAT VIEW OF THE CITADEL BEHIND THE CHURCH;  (ACCESS TO THE CITADEL IS EITHER VIA CABLE CAR RIDE OR 408 STEPS)

TWO OF THE THREE STAINED GLASS WINDOWS ARE BUILT RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE CLIFF SO NO LIGHT CAN GET THROUGH.   THEY MAY LIGHT THEM UP AT NIGHT OR OTHER TIMES OF DAY IN ORDER TO SEE THEM BUT WHEN WE WERE THERE IT WAS DARK

THIS IS DURING WW1.  NOTICE THE BRIDGE THAT IS DESTROYED.  THAT WAS ACTUALLY DONE BY LOCAL TROOPS TO KEEP THE GERMANS AT BAY BUT UNFORTUNATELY THE GERMANS STILL GOT TO THEM.  THE TOWN REALLY TOOK A BEATING DURING THE WAR.