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La Cathédrale Notre-Dame d'Amiens
The cathedral of Notre-Dame d'Amiens is the largest cathedral in France by interior volume. Its foundations date from 1220, the nave was completed around 1230, the choir in 1269 and most of the building site in 1288; the north tower received its crowning in 1402. The nave rises to 42.3 metres under the vault and the spire reaches 112.70 metres.
The building combines three states of Gothic: classical Gothic for the nave, Rayonnant Gothic for the choir and Flamboyant Gothic for the rose windows and upper parts, with great unity despite the length of the building work. Three portals decorated with thirteenth-century sculpture open the west façade. Inside you will notice a labyrinth laid out in 1288, choir stalls made between 1508 and 1519 and the reliquary of the head of Saint John the Baptist, which arrived in 1206. The cathedral has been inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage since 1981.
