Amiens Cathedral

Amiens, France

I would like to analyze this particular fine Gothic architecture of the era using elements of the fiction of Gothic. That may seem strange but I thought it was a fun metaphoric way of working. Gothic, for starters, is horror and romance blended. In this particular cathedral the way the materials that the building are made of have aged it gives it a dark mystique, however the intricate designing and arches gives it a very lacey appeal often associated with romanticism. The main character of a Gothic novel must be relatable but face the monster within themselves. The Cathedral is on the outside simple yet elegant, relatable to most architecture of that time. Then the inside is a church, perhaps not your classic “monster” however a larger greater supernatural power? Yes. The most intriguing part of this story is that Gothic novels are known for their transformations -- This particular cathedral was once a little church that got burned down in 1137. Afterwards the land was rededicated and the cathedral was built there. The land and building thereupon was not only restored but transformed. Gloomy or decaying structures are often the setting for Gothic novels and this structure, though beautiful, is definitely a decaying architecture. The other thing about Gothic literature is the heightened emotions and drama of despair, the gaping arches are heightened as the peak of the emotions in a gothic novel. The next element related to this is that of the atmosphere of mystery and suspense which with the elegant air  of this cathedral certainly has that. The next is supernatural elements, in most cases God is considered supernatural.