Stories in Central Door of Amiens Cathedral France

It is really difficult to overcome the mesmerizing effect of the small sculpted statures on the arch of central door of Amiens Cathedral in France. I had posted a couple of pictures of Amiens Cathedral some time back.

The door has such fantastic details that I wanted to dedicate short photo essay on the main door of the cathedral. Here I have a photo essay on the main portal, the central one and biggest of the three. It has a fine display of sculptures around it.

Central Door of Amiens Cathedral

Uniqueness of Amiens Cathedral lies in the sculptures on the door arch. Angels sculpted in series go up the arch both ways.

Do read: Amiens Cathedral Largest in France

Stories in Central Door of Amiens Cathedral France

Facade of Amiens Cathedral

The western facade has 3 doors, arches of each of them infused with sculptures of angels.

Why cathedrals have three doors?

Cathedrals and many other churches often have three main doors. It is interesting to know that there is symbolic and historical significance to this architectural feature. The three doors are typically referred to as the “triple portal” or “western portal,” and they serve several purposes:

The number three holds significant theological symbolism in Christianity. It represents the Holy Trinity—God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. The three doors symbolize the spiritual journey of a worshipper. The central door represents the path to salvation, the side doors may symbolize the stages of a Christian’s spiritual life.

Historically, the central door was often the largest and widest, allowing for processions and large congregations to enter and exit the church during religious ceremonies and events. While the side doors, being smaller, could be used for more everyday entrances and exits.

Iconography: The decorative elements around the portals often feature intricate sculptures and reliefs depicting scenes from the Bible, saints, and religious symbolism. The triple portal provides ample space for this artistic expression and serves as a teaching tool to convey religious stories and messages.

From an architectural perspective, the three doors create a sense of balance and symmetry in the facade of the cathedral. They contribute to the overall aesthetic appeal of the building.

Amiens Cathedral Facade

Three doors of Amiens Cathedral

Stories in Door of Amiens Cathedral

I dug out some info about these sculptures, very interesting, sharing them here with pictures. Christ on his throne, with raised hands and a bare torso in order to show his injuries.

He is surrounded by the Virgin and Saint John who are kneeling and intercede on behalf of the salvation of the soul and angels carrying the Instruments of the Passion.

Christ on His throne

The elected are separated from the fully naked damned that are pushed by demons towards the jaw of a monster, the Leviathan. The resurrected leave their graves at the sound of the trumpet.

Standing in the middle, the archangel Saint Michael weighs the souls with his scales. At the bottom of the scene, a demon attempts to cheat by leaning on one of the pans on his side.

Fortunately the cathedral didn’t get damaged much during the two world wars. In 1981 Amiens Cathedral of France got UNESCO World Heritage status.

Saint Michael weighs the souls

Stories in Door of Amiens Cathedral

Multi Colored Facade in Middle Ages

Wiki mentions:

During the process of laser cleaning in the 1990s, it was discovered that the western facade of the cathedral was originally painted in multiple colors.

A technique was perfected to determine the exact make-up of the colors as they were applied in the 13th century. Then, in conjunction with the laboratories of EDF (Electricity of France) and the expertise of the Society Skertzo, elaborate lighting techniques were developed to project these colors directly on the facade with precision, recreating the poly-chromatic appearance of the 13th century.

Angels sculpted on door arch

When projected on the statues around the portals, the result is a stunning display that brings the figures to life. The projected colors are faint to photograph, but a good quality DSLR will provide excellent results as shown here.” See this picture below.

A free sound and lighting show is held at the end of the year and in summertime on the parvis of Amiens Cathedral, revealing what the colored facade of the cathedral looked like in the Middle Ages.

Imagine the whole facade of Amiens Cathedral colored thus! It would be beyond magnificent.

You will like these DOORS of Europe

Pin this for later

Doors of Amiens Cathedral France

Notre Dame Amiens: Largest Cathedral in France
Budapest One Day Tour Hungary, Must See Sights

21 Responses to “Stories in Central Door of Amiens Cathedral France

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.