Notre-Dame of Amiens is one of the great Gothic cathedrals. Its
construction began in 1220, and artistic production in the Gothic mode
lasted well into the sixteenth century. In this magisterial chronicle,
Stephen Murray invites readers to see the cathedral as more than just a
thing of the past: it is a living document of medieval Christian society
that endures in our own time.
Murray tells the cathedral's story from the overlapping perspectives of
the social groups connected to it, exploring the ways that the layfolk
who visit the cathedral occasionally, the clergy who use it daily, and
the artisans who created it have interacted with the building over the
centuries. He considers the cycles of human activity around the
cathedral and shows how groups of makers and users have been
inextricably intertwined in collaboration and, occasionally, conflict.
The book travels around and through the spaces of the cathedral,
allowing us to re-create similar passages by our medieval predecessors.
Murray reveals the many worlds of the cathedral and brings them together
in the architectural triumph of its central space.
A beautifully illustrated account of a grand, historically and
religiously important building from a variety of perspectives and in a
variety of time periods, this book offers readers a memorable tour of
Notre-Dame of Amiens that celebrates the cathedral's eight hundredth
anniversary.
Notre-Dame of Amiens is enhanced by high-resolution images, liturgical
music, and animations embedded in an innovative website.
