Amiens Cathedral Floor Labyrinth Columbia University

Measuring about 12 1 meters wide the labyrinth occupies the entire width of the fourth and fifth bays of the nave and is thought to have originally been placed in the cathedral in 1288.

Amiens cathedral floor labyrinth columbia university. It has the same path arrangement as the chartres labyrinth but is octagonal rather than round. Amiens cathedral contains the largest medieval interior in western europe supported by 126 pillars. Both the nave and the chancel are vast but extremely light with considerable amounts of stained glass surviving despite the depredations of war. The decorative pavement including the labyrinth was removed in 1827 8 and replaced with a plain stone pavement.

Amiens the first great fully gothic cathedral has a much more abrupt entry that many earlier churches as the main dividing wall between the western frontispiece and the nave is relatively thin and not much built up on the inside. A veritable feat of architecture amiens cathedral is one of the largest in europe and became a unesco world heritage site in 1981. Medical university of south carolina charleston. M measuring about 12 1 meters wide the labyrinth occupies the entire width of the fourth and fifth bays of the nave and is thought to have originally been placed in the cathedral in 1288.

Designer stuart bartholomaus took inspiration from the labyrinth at chartres cathedral in france to create this contemplative pathway. This grassy labyrinth is a natural fit for middleton the nation s oldest landscaped gardens where something beautiful is always in bloom. Amiens is of interest to us because it has a labyrinth that is normally uncovered and available to the public. Amiens cathedral web site columbia university.

The effect is a bit like a funnel that then spits the visitor out into the building. In 2020 the cathedral celebrates its 800th anniversary since the laying of its first stone.