Chapter II: Part 2

The basement comprises thirteen carved =medallions= illustrating various episodes in the life of St. Firmin, while in the middle is seen an exceedingly fine recumbent =statue= of Adrien de Henencourt, dean of the chapter of Amiens, who died in 1530, and at whose expense the whole of the south enclosure of the choir was built.

(_in Vestry_):

ST. FIRMIN'S SHRINE.]

THE CATHEDRAL DURING THE WAR

During the =War=, elaborate precautions were taken to protect the Cathedral and its art treasures from the dangers of bombardment. The three doorways of the principal façade (_photo above_) and that of the Gilded Virgin, were covered with a thick protecting wall of sandbags.

The choir stalls (_photo p._ 33) were enclosed with reinforced concrete and sandbags, the stone carvings of the ambulatory being protected in like manner. The various funeral monuments were walled in, while firemen from Paris removed the stained glass. All the movable art treasures were taken away and placed in safety (_photo p._ 33).

(_left-hand side of Apse_).]

These precautions were not superfluous, as the cathedral was repeatedly made the target of enemy artillery fire. In 1915, during an air bombardment, three out of nine bombs fell in the immediate vicinity, at distances varying from 150 to 200 yards. In the spring of 1918 an incendiary shell burst in the Rue de Robert Luzarches, within 30 yards of the Virgin doorway, completely destroying two houses, while splinters hit the upper part of the doorway above the wall of sandbags. In all, nine shells hit the cathedral, but none of them caused very serious damage.

The roof was pierced in several places, particularly on the south side of the choir, and the vault was perforated in the south aisle of the choir and in the nave. The gallery of the triforium was likewise torn open on the south side of the nave, while the chapels of St. John the Baptist (_photo p._ 32) and Our Lady of Faith (D 1 _on plan_) were damaged. Outside, the façades were struck with shell splinters, while here and there buttresses, flying-buttresses, and mullions of windows were broken or damaged.

(_See outline opposite p._ 9 _and plan opposite p._ 8).

_On leaving the Cathedral by the_

(_Cliché LL_)]

_doorway of the south transept (Gilded Virgin Door), the tourist should skirt the Cathedral on the left as far as the Place St. Michel, which is behind the Apsis. In the middle of the Square is a_ =Statue= to Peter the Hermit. _On the right of the Square, take the Rue Victor Hugo._

At No. 36, hidden from the road by a high enclosure wall, is the very handsome brick and stone bossage =façade= (1634) of what were formerly the offices of the French Treasury. A bomb damaged the right-hand corner of the roof.

_Turn into the first street on the right (Rue Lesueur), which skirts the_ Palais de Justice. _Turn to the left into the Rue de Robert de Luzarches, which passes in front of the principal façade of the_ Palais de Justice (plan). Built towards the end of the 19th century, it contains some fine =woodwork= by Crescent.

_Follow the Rue de Luzarches to the Rue des Trois-Cailloux; on turning to the right, the tourist passes in front of the_ =Theatre=.

A large opening was made by a shell in the left-hand upper portion of the =façade= (_photo below_), which is pure Louis XVI in style.

This façade was built in 1778-1780.

It is remarkable for its harmonious proportions, as also for the delicacy and sobriety of its ornamentation.

The corner =pilasters= are decorated with lyres, surmounted by flaming tripods.

The central =pilasters= are ornamented with two groups of Muses in relief, one representing Dancing and Music, the other Comedy and Tragedy.

On the upper portion of each pilaster, the attributes of the four Muses have been carved in oval =medallions=.

(_Photo taken from the Place Gambetta, April 24th, 1918_)]

The interior of the theatre is interesting, by reason of the date of its construction (1773-1779). It is the oldest playhouse in France.

Opposite the theatre, the shops of the =Nouvelles Galeries= were entirely destroyed (_photo below_).

_At No. 59, Rue des Trois-Cailloux, to the left of the theatre, is the Passage du Logis du Roi, where are to be found the remains of the_ "=Logis du Gouverneur du Roi de Picardie=" (_House of the King of Picardy's Governor, S on outline of tour_).

Built about 1520 of brick and stone, the castle was mutilated in the 18th century. The outbuildings now serve various foreign purposes, and include a café, so that the place has lost most of its interest.

Only the =donjon tower=, from which there is a fine view over the whole city, retains its ancient aspect.

_Follow the Rue des Trois-Cailloux to the Place Gambetta, then turn to the left into the Rue de la République, where, on the right, will be found:_

("Magasins des Nouvelles Galeries," burnt on June 9th, 1918)]

(_Tomb of Nicolas de Lannoy, St. Rémy's Church, p. 37_)]

=The Church of St. Rémy=, which is being rebuilt on the site of the old church of the Couvent des Cordeliers (_Convent of the Franciscans or Grey Friars_).

It contains several pieces of =sculpture= by _Blasset_, including the monumental =tomb= of Nicholas de Lannoy, High Constable of Bourbonnais, and Madeleine de Mutterel, his wife, with their =statues= (1631)--_photos on this page_--and a =Virgin= known as the Condé Virgin, because it was given by the Prince of Condé after his victory at Rocroi.

A bomb caused nearly all the roof to fall in and seriously damaged the stained glass windows.

A little further on, on the same side of the street, is the =Museum=.

(_Tomb in St. Rémy's Church, p. 37_)]

RIGHT WING OF REAR FAÇADE DAMAGED BY AERIAL TORPEDO IN 1918.]

THE PICARDY MUSEUM

=The Museum= is installed in a spacious building erected in the middle of the 19th century at the expense of the Society of Antiquaries of Picardy, and afterwards handed over by it to the City. Most of the collections had fortunately been removed to a place of safety before the bombardment of 1918, which damaged the building. Three aerial torpedoes fell on the right wing of the rear façade (_photo above_), considerably damaging the collection of drawings by the brothers Duthoit.

The Museum will only be re-installed after the necessary repairs have been done, and as new classifications may then be made, the principal works of art are here dealt with according to category and date, instead of room by room.

A.--Sculpture

I.--_Greek and Gallo-Roman Antiquities._

=Triple Hecate=: Grecian marble, very finely executed, representing the three divinities of the lunar month: Diana, Artemicia, and Hecate.

Gallo-Roman funeral =stele= with galloping cavalier carved in demi-relief.

Carved =tombstone= representing the deceased, holding lamp and purse, between two relations.

II.--_Middle Age and Renaissance Sculpture._

Quadrangular baptismal =font= in pure Roman style.

Very fine late 12th century =capitals=, taken from the ancient monastery of the Premonstrants of Dommartin (Pas-de-Calais).

=Tomb= of black Tournai stone, belonging to the first half of the 15th century, representing _Knight Robert de Bouberch_ in armour.

Very fine late 15th century =Virgin= of wood, painted and gilded, taken from the ancient church of the Minimes d'Amiens.

A series of merry monks' =heads= with caricatured features, carved in oak at the end of the 15th century; very curious; were formerly corbels supporting the framework of a house in Amiens.

III.--_Modern Sculpture._

_Puget_, rough =model= in terra-cotta, used for the "Hercule gaulois" in the Louvre.

_Coysevox_, very fine marble =bust= of Regent Philip of Orléans. The wig is noteworthy, by reason of the exceeding delicacy of execution. Also =bust of Chauvelin=, intendant of Picardy.

_Falguières_, bronze =bust of Gambetta=, particularly expressive.

B.--Painting.

The museum of paintings includes:

I.--A series of =decorative paintings= by _Puvis de Chavannes_.

II.--Suite of early 16th century pictures of the _Amiens School_.

III.--Collections of the City (acquired and given by the State).

IV.--Collections of the _brothers Lavalard_, given in 1890 to the City and comprising 371 pictures, including several very fine works of the French, Spanish, and Flemish schools.

1.--Paintings by Puvis de Chavannes:

These paintings decorate the walls of the grand staircase leading to the first floor, and the gallery on the first floor known as the _Puvis de Chavannes Gallery_.

1. WALLS OF THE GRAND STAIRCASE:

_Work and Repose._

_Ave Picardia Nutrix_ (1865)--_photos, p. 41._

_Pro Patria Ludus_ (1882), _one of the artist's masterpieces painted while he was at his very best_.

2. PUVIS DE CHAVANNES GALLERY:

_The Spinner, The Reaper, The Standard-Bearer, and Desolation_ are four long panels between the windows. The first two relate to Peace (_Concordia_) and the other two to War (_Bellum_).

The whole of the paintings by Puvis de Chavannes, having a surface measurement of more than two hundred square yards, were removed during a violent bombardment in the spring of 1918. Sappers belonging to the "_camouflaging_" section of the army, together with firemen from Paris, carefully detached the canvases with knives and rolled them up on cylinders.

Some of them adhered so tenaciously to the walls that it was found necessary to cut away a certain thickness of stone with chisels at the same time as the canvas.

The operation was entirely successful, all the paintings being intact, with the exception of a slight tear in the "_War_" panel caused by a shell splinter, prior to removal.

It is probably in the museum of Amiens that one best realises the evolution in the decorative art of Puvis de Chavannes, as nearly a quarter of a century separates the first paintings from the last.

In those of the gallery, which are among the earliest of his great decorative compositions, the landscapes are a mere background of sombre hue, designed to bring out the light foreground figures. The latter are individualized, the personality of each being revealed in the lines of the face and general attitude.

Conversely, in the latest works, and especially in _Pro Patria Ludus_, the landscape is of primary importance, enveloping as it does the whole composition in a clear, pure atmosphere.

On the other hand, individuality and detail are carefully suppressed; human beings are portrayed in their general aspect, with only the essential to characterize them.

The decorative art is here synthesized to the last degree.

"_Au juste poix véritable balance._"]

II.--Paintings of our Lady of Puy

The _Brotherhood of Our Lady of Puy_ was a religious, artistic and literary society founded in the _Middle Ages_ at Amiens, and which continued down to the 18th century.

The _Master_, who was elected each year, was under the obligation of having a picture painted in honour of the _Virgin_.

Several of these paintings, dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, still exist.

All are similar in composition.

In the centre, the Virgin surrounded by symbolical figures arrayed in sumptuous garments, and in the foreground, the donor with relations and friends.

Near by, a scroll inscribed with the _device_ chosen by the Master for his term of office, and in the background, landscape of living waters and verdure.

The four oldest of these panels, the =wood carving= of whose _frames_ is remarkable, are considered to be among the most interesting of the early 16th century French School.

The _devices_ of these panels are as follows:

1. Painting (1518). No. 390 (1911 edition of catalogue): _Au juste poix, véritable balance_; fine Renaissance frame (_photo above_).

2. Painting (1519), No. 391: _Pré ministrant pasture salutaire_; Gothic-Flamboyant frame.

3. Painting (1520), No. 392: _Palme eslute du Seigneur pour Victoire_. In the fine landscape with river, which forms the background, the city of Amiens is seen with its cathedral.

4. Painting (1521), No. 393, greatly damaged: _Le vray support de toute créature_.

The other panels are more modern and do not offer the same interest.

Several other old paintings were formerly to be found in this room, especially the central panel of a _triptych_ (end 15th century), No. 403, representing Christ blessing, surrounded by the donor and his family, with St. John the Baptist and St. Barbara.

III.--Collections belonging to the City of Amiens

1. French School:

_Boucher_: Large composition; _Vénus demandant à Vulcain des armes
pour Enée_ (_Venus asking Vulcan for arms for Aeneas_), No. 46 of
1911 catalogue.

_Boucher_ and _Carle van Loo_: Four exquisite hunting panels,
originally designed for the apartments of the King at Versailles.

_Boucher_: _Chasse au Crocodile_ (_Crocodile Hunting_), dated 1739
(No. 48). _Chasse au Tigre_ (_Tiger Hunting_), No. 47.

_Van Loo_: _Chasse à l'Ours_ (_Bear Hunting_), No. 356. _Chasse à
l'Autruche_ (_Ostrich Hunting_), No. 359.

_Nattier_: _Portrait of Gresset_ (No. 266).

_Bachelier_: Two pictures forming pendants, _Un Ours de Pologne
attaqué par des chiens_ (_Polish bear attacked by dogs_) No. 9; _Un
lion d'Afrique attaqué par des dogues_ (_African lion attacked by
dogs_), No. 10; and a very large composition (1761): _Les
Amusements de l'enfance_ (_Childhood's Amusements_), No. 8.

_Quentin de la Tour_: _His own portrait_, the finest and most
carefully finished of his portraits, painted about 1760 (No. 212)
(_photo below_).

_David_: _Countess de Dillon_, lady of honour to Empress
Marie-Louise, full length portrait, strictly academical (No. 108).

_Regnault_, contemporary of David and his school: _La Mort de
Priam_ (_Death of Priamus_) (No. 290).

_J. Lefebvre_: Several paintings, especially _Portrait of Lady
Godiva_ (No. 223).

2. Foreign Schools:

_Un buveur attablé_ (_Drinker at table_) (No. 427), attributed by
the catalogue to the _Flemish School_ of the middle of the 17th
century, would seem from its powerful realism and general
composition, to have come from the studio of the _Brothers Le
Nain_.

_Gérard de Lairesse_, late 18th century, Dutch painter, now
forgotten, but who enjoyed considerable notoriety in his day:
_Portrait of Duchesse Marie de Clèves_ (1671) (No. 206).

IV.--Collections of the Brothers Lavalard

1. Dutch School:

_Brekelenkam_ (1623-1688): _Le Savetier_ (_The Cobbler_) (No. 3 in
1911 catalogue).

_Gerritz Cuyp_ (1594-1651): _Portrait of a child_. _A Young Baron_
(No. 8).

_Van Goyen_ (1596-1696): _Le Port de Dordrecht_ (No. 12). _Le
Départ pour la pêche_ (_Fishing Boats setting out_) (No. 13). _Un
tour au bord d'une rivière_ (_River-side scene_) (No. 14, etc.).

_Van Mieris_ (1635-1681): _Liseuse_ (_Reading_) (No. 27).

_Salomon Ruysdael_ (1600-1670): _Soleil couchant_ (_Sunset_) (No.
38), and several other landscapes (Nos. 39 to 46).

2. Flemish School:

_Franz Hals_ (1581-1666): Several portraits (Nos. 94 to 96).

_Brouwer_ (1605-1638), pupil of Franz Hals: _Un buveur_ (_A
Drinker_) (No. 77).

_Jordaens_ (1593-1678): _La Marchande de Volailles_ (_Woman selling
fowls_) (No. 99).

_Gonzalès Coques_ (1614-1684): _Exécution de Charles I. sur la
place de White-Hall en 1649_ (_Execution of Charles I, Whitehall,
1649_) (No. 81).

3. French School:

_Louis Boily_: _Un jeune Savoyard_ (_Young Savoyard_) (No. 125).

_Boucher_: _Esquisse pour le Triomphe d'Amphitrite_ (_rough sketch
of Amphitrite's Triumph_) (No. 129). _Diane au bain_ (_Diana taking
bath_) (No. 130).

_Chardin_: _Lapins de garenne_ (_Wild rabbits_) (No. 137), and
several still-life studies (Nos. 138-140).

_Fragonard_: Several small paintings (Nos. 142-147), especially No.
144: _Les Lavandières_ (_Washer-Women_).

_Lépicié_, pupil of Carle van Loo: _Portrait de femme âgée_
(_Portrait of Old Woman_) (No. 167). _Studies of children's heads_
(No. 168).

_Nattier_: _Portrait de jeune femme_ (_Portrait of a young woman_)
(No. 177).

_Hubert-Robert_: _Colin-Maillard_ (_Blindman's Buff_) (No. 188).

4. Italian School:

_Luca Giordano_ (1632-1705): _Musicien accordant sa guitare_
(_Musician tuning his Guitar_) (No. 211).

5. Spanish School:

_Le Greco_ (1548-1625): Very fine _portrait of a man_, the finest
of this artist's paintings in France (No. 212) (_photo_ _p._ 43).

_Ribera_ (1588-1656): _La Messe du Pape Grégoire le Grand_
(_Celebration of Mass by Pope Gregory the Great_); very finely
executed; one of this artist's greatest masterpieces; signed:
Joseph de Ribera, Naples, 1654 (No. 239).

The museum also contains _interesting drawings by Puvis de Chavannes_ and a fine collection of _drawings_ by the _Brothers Duthoit_ of Amiens (1820-1870). In these latter drawings, more than 5,000 in number, are portrayed the _towns and villages of Picardy_, as they appeared before the disappearance of the local traditions and customs. This collection was seriously damaged by bombardment.

Several =old houses= of Amiens, saved from ruin by the Antiquarian Society of Picardy, have been rebuilt in the Museum grounds, viz.:

Late 15th century house with visible timber-work in left-hand corner.

Early 17th century (1619) façade, in right-hand corner. Note the fine decorative frieze of lions' muzzles.

Late 18th century façade, with entrance-door surmounted by a fine caryatid of bearded man supporting a graceful, wrought-iron balcony on his shoulders, against the right-hand lateral wall.

_Opposite the Museum is the_ =Prefecture=.

The PREFECTURE consists of two contiguous buildings. One, modern, is fitted up as offices. The other, which is the Prefect's residence, was formerly the headquarters of the Intendant of Picardy.

The latter building was erected in 1773-1774 from plans prepared by the Parisian architect _Montigny_. It was considerably damaged, both outside and inside, by bombardment (_photo opposite_).

_Separated from the Museum by the Rue Puvis de Chavannes is the_ =City Library=.

The LIBRARY is a modern building containing nearly 100,000 books and about 1,000 manuscripts, including several of great value. _(To visit apply to the curator)._ The colonnaded building in the rear was partly destroyed by bombardment.

_On leaving the Rue de la République, take on the right the Rue Puvis de Chavannes (continued by the Rue des Louvets) as far as the Rue de Beauvais (photo below). Turn to the right. At the corner of the Rue de Beauvais and the Rue Frédéric-Petit is the_ =Lycée=.

THE LYCÉE is located in the partly rebuilt structure which was formerly the _Abbey of St. John of the Order of Premonstrants_ (17th century); fine cloister.

The façade of the modern portion, looking on the Rue Frédéric-Petit, was grazed by shell splinters.

_Follow the Rue de Beauvais, continued by the Rue Alphonse Leuillier, as far as the_ HÔTEL DE VILLE (H _on detailed plan_); 18th century façade, finished in the 19th century.

Bailliage and House of the White Gable

_To the left of the Hôtel de Ville, take the Rue de la Malmaison, in which is situated the_ =Ancien Bailliage= (Old Bailiwick--_L on detailed plan)._

To see it, the tourist should enter the courtyard of the City Fire Station, at the bottom of which, on the right, is a narrow passage leading to a tiny court, facing which is the curious façade of the house. Gothic-Flamboyant in style, it is richly decorated with Renaissance motifs (_photos_).

A frieze of accolade-shaped arches with crockets runs along the building. Inside the arches, seven pure Renaissance medallions of men and women have been carved.

Two small Renaissance angels dated 1541 appear below, between the two rectangular windows. On the left side of the building, a pretty dormer-window with triangular pediment breaks the monotony of the large slated roof, as is customary in civil Gothic architecture. Two Renaissance medallions of a man and a woman appear on the dormer-window.

Inside, interesting 16th century keel-arched timber work still exists in the audience chamber of the Bailiwick, the ceiling of which is hidden by a cloth.

_Cross the Square behind the Hôtel de Ville. To the left of the Post-Office, take the Passage Gossart, at the end of which, under a vault, is the gate of a narrow alley leading to a small court._

On three sides of the latter is a curious house with wooden walls built about the year 1492 by a rich cloth merchant, Nicolas Fauvel, mayor of the city. This house, known as the =House of the White Gable=, is shown at F on the detailed plan. Abutting on the main building, which is the original structure, a kind of corbel-work gable was added over the exit from the Passage Gossart. This was probably used by the mayor as a tribune from which to harangue the people gathered together in the courtyard.

This tribune (_photo opposite_) is supported by a half-vault of wood, the arches of which abut against the stone corbels. At the outside corner, a console terminating in a flying angel forms a pendative, and is decorated with curious carving depicting a man in the dress of a 15th century burgess, having three heads.

One of his feet is bare, the other shod. On the opposite console is the figure of a man on horseback, probably Nicolas Fauvel, wearing the mayoral robes of Amiens. Part of the house with wooden walls was destroyed by a bomb, but the mayor's tribune escaped uninjured.

_Returning to the Place de l'Hôtel de Ville, the tourist should turn to the right to see the_ =Ancien belfry= of the City of Amiens (_E on detailed plan_).

The lower portion only is old. Its heavy 18th century steeple contains a =bell= weighing eleven tons.

_Leaving the Belfry behind, continue to follow the Rue du Chapeau de Violettes as far as the Rue St. Germain, at the corner of which is_ =St. Germain's Church= (_D on detailed plan_), historical monument. A fine building in the Flamboyant style, dating from the middle of the 15th century, it was seriously damaged by a bomb which fell in the Rue St. Germain on the night of the 13th-14th May, 1918, destroying five houses.

House of the "Sagittaire"

The south façade, looking on the street, as well as that of the apse, suffered badly throughout their entire length.

Although the main body of the building remained standing, most of the ornamental carving was broken and the doorway torn open, while all the stained glass was destroyed, together with the greater part of the mullions of the windows. Inside, the vaults were pierced in several places.

The doorway in the Rue Pingré is uninjured (_photo above_). Part of the ornamental carving is of great delicacy, but the statues are modern. The door is of wood with Renaissance carvings. A square tower leaning towards the North flanks the doorway.

The interior of the church is beautifully proportioned and very simple in arrangement. The choir, slightly more modern than the nave, dates from 1478. The lateral chapels contain some 16th century stained glass and a reproduction of the Burial Scene dated 1506.

_Skirt the church by following the Rue St. Germain to the_ PLACE DU MARCHÉ DE LANSELLES (_curious old houses_).

_Cross the Square diagonally on the right, then take the Rue des Vergeaux._

_In this street (Nos. 57-59--K on detailed plan) is the_ =Maison du Sagittaire= (_Archers' House_), so called on account of two small figures of archers carved at the top of the keystones of the arcaded vaults on the ground-floor.

Pure Renaissance in style and dating from 1593, it is the finest and best preserved house in the old town (_photo opposite_).

_Rue des Vergeaux nos. 57-59._]

The ground-floor comprises two broken-arch arcades, each of whose tympanums is ornamented with two semi-recumbent figures of women.

A frieze ornamented with medallions of Roman warriors extends between the ground-floor and first-floor.

Five magnificent lions' muzzles appear between Renaissance motifs in this frieze.

OLD AMIENS

_Return to the Place du Marché de Lanselles and take the Rue St. Martin, which is at the right-hand corner._ There are two =fine façades= in this street, one Louis XV. at No. 7, and the other Louis XVI. at No. 18.

A shell caused rather serious damage to the left-hand window on the first floor of the former. _At the end of the Rue St. Martin take on the left the Rue Flatters, which continues the Rue du Bloc. Leave the latter, taking on the right the Rue des Rinchevaux which leads to the_ Place des Huchers. (=Fine view= of old houses and cathedral--_photo below_).

_To the right of the Square take the Rue du Pont-Piperesse visible in the photo, p. 49_, then on the left, _the Rue des Gantiers and the Rue Hocquet. At the intersection of the latter with the Rue de Metz-l'Evéque take a few steps to the right in the last-named street, to get a_ =view= _of the picturesque_ Canal du Hocquet (_photo above_).

_Continue along the Rue du Hocquet and its continuation (Rue de la Barette). At the end of this street, turn to the left, cross the bridge over the Somme and go up the Boulevard de Beauvillé for several hundred yards, to get_ a pretty =view= of the town _on the left_ (_photo below_).

The "Hortillonnages"

In the foreground of the above photo is a "Hortillonage." This is the local name for the tiny islets in the vicinity, whose rich black soil is generally cultivated as kitchen-gardens by men and women called "hortillons" or "hortillonnes." These gardens are intersected by innumerable small canals fed by the Rivers Somme and Avre. The most important "hortillonnages" are at the east end of the town. Visiting is only possible in the long flat-bottomed boats with turned-up ends seen in the photo above.

Each morning in summer the boats go, loaded with fruit and vegetables, to the "floating market" of Amiens (_photo below_).

The soil of these gardens is wonderfully fertile, fruit and vegetable crops succeeding one another unceasingly all the year round. The total revenue exceeds two million francs, and a "hectare" (rather less than two and a half acres) often costs twelve thousand francs.

The St. Leu Quarter

_Return by the same way to the bridge, then turn to the right and follow the Port d'Amont as far as the first bridge_ (Pont du Cange). This bridge dates from the fifteenth century, and is the oldest of the many bridges which cross the canals.

_Cross the bridge, then turn to the left into the Rue Belu, which runs along the river-side. From here there is_ a pretty =view= of the Cathedral and the old town (_photo below_). _At the end of the Rue Belu, cross the Pont de la Dodane. To the left is the Place Parmentier, where the_ "Floating Market" _is held (p. 51). In front are the first houses of the curious_ Rue du Don, _seen in the centre of the photo below, and on the right of the photo on p. 53._

_Take a few steps to get a good view of this street (photo above), re-cross the Pont de la Dodane, then take on the left the Rue d' Engoulvent, which runs by the side of an arm of the Somme (photo p. 53), as far as the_ =church of St. Leu=. _The tourist may either go round the apsis of the_ church, _taking on the left the small Rue St. Leu which crosses the arm of the river, or continue straight ahead as far as the Rue St. Leu, via the Rue Graineville, which is the continuation of the Rue d'Engoulvent_.

PONT DE LA DODANE.

_In the background, Place Parmentier entrance to the Rue du Don._]

=St. Leu Church= (hist. mon.) has undergone important alterations at various times. One of its façades is 15th century, and a steeple was rebuilt in the 16th century, in the Gothic style. A shell splinter

_To the right_, RUE DU DON.]

broke the mullions and stained glass of one of the windows of the apse (north side). This Church is in the centre of the old quarter or lower part of the city. It is there that the commerce and industry of the town have been centralised since the Middle Ages.

A maze of narrow, winding streets crossed by innumerable canals or arms of the Somme river, connected by bridges, forms this part of the town. Numerous small water-falls supply motive power to the local factories and works. Formerly, the workshops of the fullers and dyers, which crowded the banks of the canals, and where the cloth-fulling and woad-grinding were done, were driven by water-wheels (_see p. 2_).

The houses have kept their ancient aspect, and are curious for their wooden walls, sharply pointed gables, steep roofs with tiny dormer-windows, and daring corbellings overhanging the narrow streets and canals. The only means of access to the outside which some of them possess is a foot-bridge passing over the canal.

_Turn to the right into the Rue St. Leu, passing in front of the_ =Hôtel Dieu=. Rebuilt in the 17th and 18th centuries, except the St. John ward, which was built at the beginning of the 16th century in the Gothic-Flamboyant style, it is a spacious hall with two large roofs, the gables of which face the street. The vaulting is of wood, the ends of the beams being carved. The whole is in very bad condition.

_After crossing six successive lines of canals offering_ picturesque perspectives (_especially the_ Rue de Ville _and_ Rue des Coches), _the tourist arrives at the_ =Citadelle=.

The Citadelle, built in the 16th century, has since been dismantled and now serves as a barracks. The =Porte Monte-Ecu= (historical monument), built in 1531 under François I., is within its walls. It was through this Gate that the Spaniards entered Amiens in 1597. _To get a view of it, turn to the right after the Pont de la Citadelle and take the first street on the left (see detailed plan)._

_On right of Canal_, RUE D'ENGOULVENT. _On the left_, RUE DES MAJOTS. _In the background_, ST. LEU CHURCH.]

_Return by the same way to the Rue St. Leu. A little beyond the Church of St. Leu, take the Rue Fernel on the right, in which several_ 15th century wooden

houses are still to be seen. No. 33, known as the "Ramoneurs," is especially worthy of note, though greatly deteriorated.

_Follow the Rue Fernel to the Place Samarobrive, to the left of which take the Rue des Bouchers_ (_photo below_--picturesque old houses, especially No. 33).

_At the end of this street, turn to the right into the Rue Haute-des-Tanneurs, which is continued on the other side of the Place Fauvel by the Rue Basse-des-Tanneurs._

At the end of the Rue Basse-des-Tanneurs, see the ancient dilapidated façade (1493) of the =Hotel Morgan de Belloy= (_B on detailed plan_), and the =Château d'Eau= (_A on detailed plan_), dating _from the 18th century_.

A natural history museum has been installed on the first floor.

_From the Hôtel Morgan there is a_ =fine view= _of the Cathedral and the lower town_ (_photo page 55_).

_If the tourist has time he should cross the Somme by the Pont St. Michel, then follow the Boulevard du Jardin des Plantes to visit the_ =Jardin des Plantes=, _which is on the right of the Boulevard_.

_Retracing his steps he should turn to the right after the Pont St. Michel, and follow the Port_

_d'Aral, then turn to the left and take the Boulevard du Port._

_On arriving at the Place du Marché aux Chevaux, turn to the right into the Rue du Faubourg-de-la-Hotoie as far as the_ =Promenade de la Hotoie= (_see coloured plan_), a magnificent _park_ of about 50 acres, continued on the north by the =Jardin Anglais= of the "Petite Hotoie," ten acres in extent.

The Promenade de la Hotoie was used by the military authorities as an automobile park during the War and is now in a deplorable state.

_Return via the Faubourg de la Hotoie, then take the Rue de la Hotoie which continues it beyond the Place du Marché aux Chevaux._

_At the end of this street in the Place St. Firmin, take the Rue St. Jacques on the right, then immediately afterwards the Rue Gresset on the left_ (_No. 11 was formerly the_ =Hôtel des Monnaies=--_18th century_).

Only the entrance door remains, the pediment of which is decorated with two fine figures of women.

_Continue along the Rue Delambre, cross the Place Gambetta, and follow the Rue des Trois Cailloux._

_After the Theatre, turn to the left into the Rue Robert de Luzarches which leads to the Cathedral._

CONTENTS

PAGES

CHIEF HISTORICAL FACTS 2

AMIENS DURING THE WAR 2 to 8

ITINERARY--VISIT TO THE TOWN 9 to 55

THE CATHEDRAL 9 to 34

PICARDY MUSEUM 38 to 44

OLD AMIENS 49 to 55

PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED, LONDON

VII--2, 111-6-1925 ]

* * * * *

'THE TOURING-CLUB DE FRANCE'

ADVANTAGES OF MEMBERSHIP

The 'Touring-Club de France' (founded in 1890) is at the present time the largest touring association in the world. Its principal aim is to introduce France--one of the loveliest countries on earth--to the French people themselves and to tourists of other nations.

It seeks to develop travel in all its forms: on foot, horseback, bicycle, in carriage, motor, yacht or railway, and, eventually, by aeroplane.

Every member of the association receives a badge and an identity ticket, free of charge, and also the 'Revue Mensuelle' every month.

Members have the benefit also of special prices in a certain number of affiliated hotels; and this advantage holds good in the purchasing of guide-books and Staff (Etat-major) maps, as well as those of the 'Ministère de l'Intérieur,' the T.C.F., etc. They may insert notices regarding the sale or purchase of travelling requisites in the 'Revue' (1 fr. per line). The 'Comité de Contentieux' is ready to give them counsel with regard to travelling, and 3,000 delegates in all the principal towns are retained to give advice and information about the curiosities of art or of Nature of the neighbourhood, as well as concerning the roads, hotels, motor-agents, garages, etc.

Members are accorded free passages across the frontier for a bicycle or motor-bicycle. For a motor-car the association gives a 'Triptyque' ensuring free passage through the 'douane,' etc.

* * * * *

TO TOUR FRANCE IN COMFORT JOIN
THE 'TOURING-CLUB DE FRANCE'

* * * * *

BEAUTIFUL FRANCE

_Auvergne and the Central Plateau_

Volcanic in origin, this fantastically picturesque region contains numerous watering-places famous, since time immemorial, for their health-giving, warm mineral-water springs.

Its deep, smiling valleys and rugged mountain peaks are readily accessible to excursionists--thanks to the good roads--and are known to motorists the world over.

After world-renowned _Vichy_, the thermal stations of _La Bourboule_, _Mont-Dore_ and _St. Nectaire_--all within easy distance of one another--merit the tourist's attention.

Other places of interest are: _Thiers_ (celebrated for its cutlery) and _La Chaise-Dieu_ (14th-century Abbey with incomparable tapestries).

_Riom_, with its ancient churches and ruined Abbey of Mozac; _Châtel-Guyon_, famous for its mineral springs; _Royat_, modern watering-place (hot mineral springs), near to _Clermont-Ferrand_, capital of Auvergne, with its magnificent cathedral of Notre-Dame and old Roman Church of Notre-Dame du Port. Situated at the foot of the _Puy-de-Dôme_, the highest of a range of extinct volcanoes (altitude 4,500 ft.), Clermont-Ferrand is a favourite centre for excursions.

Nor should _Issoire_ and _Le Puy_ be forgotten. The latter, one of the most remarkable cities of France, contains the famous Château de Chavagnac, birthplace of the illustrious _La Fayette_, equally dear to all liberty-loving peoples.

In the district of _Le Cantal_ are the delightful valleys of the _Cère_, _Jordanne_, _Moers_ and _Maroune_. The thermal springs of _Vic-sur-Cère_ and the health resort of _Le Lioran_ (altitude 3,500 ft.) are amongst their numerous attractions.

Equally interesting are _Aurillac_, _Mauriac_ and _St. Flour_, the latter with its "sky-scraper" viaduct bridge of Garabit.

The ancient city of _Salers_ is well known to archæologists and artists.

* * * * *

FOR ALL TOURIST INFORMATION, WRITE TO
THE "TOURING CLUB DE FRANCE"

65, Avenue de la Grande Armée,
PARIS, 16^{ème}

* * * * *

MICHELIN TOURING OFFICES

MICHELIN TYRE Co., Ltd., LONDON Touring Office:: 81, Fulham Road, S.W.

MICHELIN & Cie, CLERMONT-FERRAND Touring Office:: 97, Bd. Péreire, PARIS

Drop a line, ring us up, or call at one of our Touring Offices and you will receive a carefully worked out description of the route to follow.

* * * * *

_Collection of the “Michelin Illustrated Guides,” sold for the benefit of the National Fund for the “Repopulation of France,” 10, Rue Vivienne, PARIS._

_On sale, August 1919:_ BATTLE-FIELDS OF THE MARNE (1914)

A cloth-bound volume with 488 illustrations and many coloured maps and plans: 5_s._ 6 _d._ net.

AMIENS BEFORE AND DURING THE WAR

SOISSONS BEFORE AND DURING THE WAR

LILLE BEFORE AND DURING THE WAR

Each work contains several coloured maps and plans and about 100 illustrations. Price: 1_s._ 6 _d._ net.

_To be published in the Early Autumn:_ YPRES. HINDENBURG LINE

RHEIMS AND THE BATTLES FOR ITS POSSESSION

VERDUN AND THE BATTLES FOR ITS POSSESSION

THE SECOND BATTLE OF THE MARNE

_In Preparation:_ Other volumes completing the description of the War Front.

End of Project Gutenberg's Amiens Before and During the War, by Michelin & Cie