Pearls of the Gothic Era with Visit-Somme : Chapel of the Holy Spirit, Heritage, Notre dame Cathedral, UNESCO
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jewelsgothicAbbeville, Rue, Amiens
©Somme Tourisme-JL

Gothic treasures

  • 56A façade 56m high in Abbeville
  • 1440year in which construction began in Rue
  • 28listed statues at Saint-Riquier

Saint-Wulfram collegiate church

MASTERPIECE OF FLAMBOYANT GOTHIC

Picardy was a pioneer of Gothic architecture, a land of cathedral master-builders... it boasts no fewer than 6 such cathedrals (Amiens, Noyon, Soissons, Beauvais, Laon, Senlis).
The jewel in its crown? Notre-Dame cathedral in Amiens, of course, described as the "Pantheon of Gothic architecture" by Ruskin. But the Somme department has several other examples of this architecture famous for the light and airiness of its structures.
Its stroke of genius? The invention of the Gothic vault which creates space, allowing light to flood in on all sides.
Abbeville, in the west, is home to a masterpiece of Flamboyant Gothic: the collegiate church of Saint Vulfran. Flying buttresses, huge windows, stone lacework and rose windows are all features of this architectural style.

 

Explore our churches and abbeys, not just the Gothic ones

Abbeville-collegiale Saint-Vulfran©Samuel Crampon
Abbeville-collegiale Saint-Vulfran©Samuel Crampon ©Samuel Crampon
Abbeville-collegiale Saint-Vulfran©Samuel Crampon ©Samuel Crampon
Rue-chapelle du St-Esprit©Somme Tourisme-AB
cathedrale interieur, Somme.jpg© S. Crampon
cathedrale labyrinthe visiteurs, Somme.jpg© Pasquier

Chapel at Rue

FLAMBOYANT AND RICH IN DETAIL

The chapel of the Holy Spirit at Rue is another treasure of Flamboyant Gothic architecture. Its decoration is rich and lavish, in the Flemish style. The vaults are adorned with magnificent hanging keystones. The Treasury is sublime.
More info.: Tourist Information Office in Rue

 

GOTHIC TREASURES:

  • Amiens Cathedral - Tourist Information Office, 03 22 71 60 50 - guided tours every day
  • Saint Vulfran Collegiate church in Abbeville - Tourist Information Office, 03 22 24 27 92 - guided tours every day
  • Hospice and Holy Spirit in Rue - Tourist Information Office, 03 22 25 69 94 - guided tours, February to September, Wednesdays and Fridays at 11am.
  • Saint Riquier Royal Abbey - 03 22 99 96 25 - guided tours every day, 3pm & 4pm
  • Church of Saint Leu in Amiens - Tourist Information Office, 03 22 71 60 50 - guided tours on request
The chapel of the Holy Spirit in Rue can be visited on Wednesdays and Fridays! Book now at the Tourist Office!
Rue Chapelle du Saint-Esprit©ADRT80-AB
cathedrale gargouille, Somme.jpg© Bernard Maison
Rue chapelle du Saint Esprit©ADRT80-AB
Abbaye de Saint-Riquier © Guillaume Crochez

Saint Riquier Royal Abbey

AN OUTSTANDING SET OF BUILDINGS

The abbey church of Saint Riquier is an extraordinary example of the development of Gothic architecture. Its façade is unusual in that it is dominated by a single central tower, 50 metres high, covered in mounted statues.
Thanks to its library which, over the centuries, became one of the largest in Europe and to its scriptorium actively engaged in creating and disseminating the Carolingian minuscule, the abbey played an important part in the preservation and transmission of knowledge until the end of the 12th century.
>Guided tour of the Abbey
> Tour of abbey in moonlight
> In the footsteps of pilgrims tour

 

> Guided tour of the abbey

> Tour of Abbey in the moonlight

> In the footsteps of pilgrims tour

Let's talk ToJulie Depoilly

GUIDE AT THE TOURIST INFORMATION OFFICE

"I love looking at its Gothic façade, finding out about its history, its origins, going inside and immersing myself in its secrets and its legends ... I love taking our visitors on a journey through time!"