Amiens
We take you to the discovery of Amiens, a city of art and history.These famous floating gardens and its magnificent Gothic cathedral, it abounds in natural and cultural treasures. The visit of this charming city of Picardy is an unforgettable moment in this season.
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Amiens, city of art and history The history of Amiens is long since its origins date back to Gallic times. Evidenced by its Latin name: Samarobriva, who Gauls means "the bridge (Brive) on the Somme (samara). The city was declared a city of Art and History in 1992. Thus, its cathedral, the largest Gothic church in France, she was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1981. We will therefore proceed to discover the historic districts of the city by boat and visit the famous floating gardens, beautiful gardens separated by canals.. |
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Les hortillonnages
300 hectares of gardens extend to the heart of the city Amiens. They are former marshes originally composed of thirteen branches of the Somme and ditches. The Romans gave the name "Hortus" (gardens) to these lands. They were the first to cultivate them, to feed their soldiers. They had their booming in the nineteenth century. Farmers also operated hortillonnages to extract peat, once dried, was used fuel. |
Cathedral of Amiens Since 1981 Listed as World Heritage by UNESCO, the cathedral of Amiens, with its interior volume of 200,000 cubic meters, the largest medieval building in France.In 1152, a cathedral, Romanesque style, was built. Then in 1206, many relics were brought back from the Crusades and given to Bishop Richard Gerberoy. Immediately, pilgrims flocked, making it necessary to build a building large enough to accommodate them. Work began in 1220 in Amiens, in full development of Gothic art, the site of the old Romanesque cathedral. It was completed for the biggest jobs in 1288, but she continued to experience improvements in the following centuries. |
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The facade. This is one of the finest examples of medieval architecture, both by the simplicity and purity of lines and the richness of the decoration is a harmony parfaite.Elle battered during the French Revolution. From 1849, it was restored by one of the most famous architects of the nineteenth century, Viollet-le-Duc. Top view of the organ loft, the paving of the nave is a true mosaic. In the center of the labyrinth. Paving the ground was rebuilt in the nineteenth century the same respecting the design of the paving of the thirteenth century. 234 m long, the maze is octagonal. |
The district of Saint Leu (the Venice of the north) North of the cathedral, down Saint-Leu, surrounded by canals and arms of the Somme, was born in the Middle Ages, around the church of the fifteenth century. At that time, water and windmills brought the energy required for the activity of weavers, dyers, tanners and other millers. Today, this picturesque area reflects the traditional home of the "little people" formerly dedicated to the textile industry. You can find the Rue Saint-Leu church of the same name located just between the Faculty of Sciences and the Law-economics. |
Church of Saint Leu Saint-Leu, or Saint-Loup, is probably the bishop of Sens, who died in the course of the seventh century. His cult was widespread in northern Europe from the eleventh century, well into the thirteenth century. Nothing remains of the first building of worship. The current building was completed around 1450, on the site of an older building. The Jules Verne's house In 2005, the world paid tribute to Jules Verne. The end of the celebrations is marked by the reopening of Amiens home of the writer, fully restored. After extensive renovation, the tower house, inhabited by Jules Verne from 1882 to 1900 again offers visitors a space that combines the imaginary and the everyday life of famous writer Amiens ...On four levels, it evokes through more than 700 objects from the collection of Amiens, personality, sources of inspiration and memories of Jules Verne. |
Day's program:Meet at 8:00 am, Place de l'Opera Garnier, the front stairsCheck for Amiens Guided walk in the boat on the floating gardens Discover the city of Amiens and its cathedral Free time to stroll and visit some monuments Stock (the house of Jules Verne, the Musée de Picardie ...) Starting at 18:00 and arrive in Paris scheduled around 20:30 |