La cathédraleOT AMIENSCulture & heritage
This city is proud of its heritage but remains focused on the future !
Dive into the heart of Amiens' ancient heritage
DOMINATED BY ITS IMPOSING CATHEDRAL, AMIENS POSSESSES A SURPRISINGLY DIVERSE ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE. DUBBED THE “IDEAL CITY” BY JULES VERNE, THIS CITY, CONSIDERED AVANT-GARDE SINCE THE 19TH CENTURY, PROMISES ITS VISITORS AN INTENSE AND ACTIVE CULTURAL SIDE.
Le BeffroiSamuel CramponThe belfry is a symbol of Amiens’ independence from feudal power. It was the first Town Hall, but is known in particular for its role as a prison.
La Cathédrale et l'horloge DewaillyADRT80 - F. Leonardi2020 marks the 800th anniversary of the date the Amiens’ Cathedral of Notre Dame’s first foundation stone was laid.
UNESCO World Heritage
THE CITY OF AMIENS IS HOME TO THREE UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES.
TWO WERE AWARDED TO THE CATHEDRAL, ONE IN 1981 FOR THE QUALITY OF ITS ARCHITECTURE AND FURNISHINGS, THEN ANOTHER IN 1998 AS A LANDMARK STAGE ON THE WAY OF SAINT JAMES, AND ONE WAS AWARDED TO THE BELFRY.
IN 2021, AMIENS CELEBRATED THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF ITS 1ST WORLD HERITAGE SITE AWARD.
La Citadelle - Claire LefortEnticing!
The Citadel,
a bastion of both troops and knowledge!
The Citadel of Amiens was established on the via agrippa, an ancient Roman road, at the request of King Henry IV who wanted to protect his kingdom’s northern border after the Spanish conquest of the city in 1597. At the time, the city of Amiens neighboured Spanish Flanders. The Citadel was built by Jean Errard de Bar le Duc, the precursor to Vauban! It was a resistance stronghold during the war of 1870 under Commandant Vogel, then became a major prison and place of torture in the Second World War. The City of Amiens purchased the site for the army in 1999.
Under the direction of Renzo Piano, an internationally-renowned Italian architect, the Citadel has been expertly transformed into a 30,000 m2 university centre.
Tour Perret - © L.RousselinInspiring!
Tour Perret,
visible for miles around
At 110 metres tall, and with 30 floors, the tower rivals the 112.7 metre-high spire of the Cathedral.
Designed as a reconstruction project covering Square Alphonse Fiquet and Amiens Station following the mass destruction of the Second World War, and completed in 1952 by Auguste Perret, the tower is made entirely of reinforced concrete, and was, for a while Europe’s tallest skyscraper. An hourglass at the top helps locals keep track of the time. Lit up at night in orange and violet it resembles a New York tower!
© DRCirque Jules Verne - Pôle National Cirque et Arts de la Rue
Inaugurated by Jules Verne in 1889, the Cirque municipal is a high place of Amiens' cultural life, and an...
Jardin Archéologique de Saint-Acheul
The Saint-Acheul garden is a prehistoric site of international renown. Here you can discover the first settlements of...
Théâtre de Marionnettes Chés Cabotans d'Amiens
Traditional puppet theatre in the Saint Leu district, starring Ch'Lafleur (a bit of a dreamer, a grumbler) and his...