The Gothic style originated in France; the Ile de France and Picardy are dotted with fine cathedrals.These ten cathedrals represent the heights of the Gothic style. But warning; if you get addicted, you’re going to want to search out the others too – Sens and Senlis, Soissons, Noyon, Mantes… you might never stop!
1. Laon is one of the earliest Gothic cathedrals, but its architect created marvellous effects of transparence and depth in the façade and the famous towers. At the top of the towers are the famous bulls of Laon, said to be statues of the oxen which dragged the stone from the quarries up the hill to the cathedral. The church is filled with light, and the pristine simplicity of the architecture makes this little visited cathedral an obligatory stop for any traveller who wants to understand the aspirations of the early Gothic.
2. Chartres cathedral rises on a hill above the river Eure and the cornfields of Beauce. This is Gothic style at its most classic and powerful. The west front and transept porches are finely carved with figures of prophets and saints, and much of the original stained glass survives. The little figures of the donors at the bottoms of the windows, all exercising their trades – furriers, carpenters, bakers – are worth seeking out for an unusually realistic view of medieval life.
3. Notre Dame, Paris is perhaps not the finest of the Gothic cathedrals, and lost most of its furnishings in the French Revolution. But the façade, an almost square, monumental form, shows perfectly how the Gothic style uses geometrical proportions to create strongly articulated architecture.
4. Bourges is the most visionary of French cathedrals – a single, huge, open space without transept or narthex to break the pattern. Its double aisles are arranged so that the central aisle is a miniature copy of the nave of the church, with its own triforium and clerestory – as if the cathedral had been sliced in two and a new one inserted into the middle. As at Chartres, the stained glass is original – and since much of it is in the side chapels, close-up viewing is possible.
5. Amiens cathedral is massive – the biggest Gothic cathedral in France. And it’s a very pure Gothic style – simple, light, serene. The west front is full of carved detail, including symbols of the labours of the months and the virtues and vices as well as Biblical personages and local saints.
6. Reims cathedral was where the French kings were crowned; royal patronage made it a wealthy and strikingly beautiful building. The statues of the west façade – particularly the ‘smiling angel’ – have a grace and plasticity that make them the summit of the Gothic style in sculpture. Inside, the sheer height of the church is amazing.
7. Strasbourg cathedral’s lace like façade is a marvel, particularly when the setting sun brings out the redness of the sandstone. Inside, the famous astronomical clock provides a kitsch counterpoint to the glories of the Gothic nave.
8. Beauvais was the most ambitious of the Gothic cathedrals. Pride becomes before a fall, though, and after two separate vault collapses, the masons just gave up – the building was never finished. Even the stub of the church, though, is impressive – the highest and lightest work that the Gothic ever produced.
9. Albi cathedral is very different from any of the northern cathedrals. Its southern Gothic style is massive and ponderous, not light and transparent, and as if to stress the difference, it’s built in brick, not stone. But though the exterior looks like a fortress, inside it’s a treasure house of art, including fine frescoes, a painted vault, and a rood screen covered in painted statues.
10. The little-known Saint-Bertrand de Comminges isn’t one of the architectural masterpieces of France. But with its mixture of Romanesque narthex and Gothic nave, and its fine stained glass and Renaissance choir stalls, it’s one of those delightful places where every age has left its impression and every glance discovers new beauties. And how could you miss out a cathedral with its own stuffed crocodile?

Menton is renowned for its mild climate, annual winter attraction and a good dose of Baroque and medieval architecture. Take a brief walk in time to see how it all began.
Menton, situated on the French Riviera and just over the Italian border, may be best known for its annual Lemon Festival. Its pastel colored houses are a trademark of Liguria, Italy, but visitors leave with a deep impression of Menton’s Baroque style, thanks to the Basilica that dominates the old town skyline.
Town History
Menton once was the property of the Italian Ventimiglia family but was acquired by the Grimaldi’s of Monaco in 1346. For centuries it remained under the Grimaldi rule until 1848 when Menton declared itself a free city under the protection of the King of Sardegna. In 1860 Menton chose to become part of France.
The city developed during the Italian Renaissance period, stretching its ochre-colored fingers over the steep Colla Rogna. At its nucleus stands one of the best examples of Baroque architecture, the Basilica St. Michel. Near the top, the buildings are typical of medieval times, small at the base and increasing in size on the upper levels, many times creating vaulted streets.
Lemon Festival
In the late 19th century, in an attempt to boost Menton’s winter tourism, hoteliers proposed organizing a town parade. The project was designed with wealthy holiday-makers in mind and eventually Menton became THE place to pass the winter months. Kings, princes and artists alike filled the luxury hotels or their own magnificent villas.
Menton became the continent’s premier producer of lemons in 1929 and the first flower and citrus exposition was organized at the Hotel Riviera gardens. It was so successful that the following year, the exposition extended into the streets with wagons beautifully planted with oranges and lemons. In order to develop tourism, the parade was given a title reflecting the feel of Menton and in 1934 the Lemon Festival or Fête du Citron was officially born.
Today, the celebration continues to attract spectators from all around the world. It occurs in February and March at the end of the harvest season, and during Carnival. There are Sunday parades, Thursday moonlight parades complete with fireworks over the bay, Citrus exhibitions and flower displays at the many public gardens.
Basilique St. Michel
From the old harbor, a double staircase, Ramps Chanoine Ortmans, leads up to the square where the Basilica St. Michel stands. Building began during the Grimaldi reign in the early 1600’s but did not take off until 1640. In 1653 most of the building was completed and the very Italian bell-tower was added during the years 1701-1702.
The lower facade is adorned with four pairs of ionic columns. The central statue housed above the entrance in an arched cove, depicts the archangel Michael triumphantly standing over the devil. The upper facade, built symmetrically over the lower, sports two pairs of smaller columns that flank a wall of windows.
The courtyard itself bears witness to the town’s early history where dark pebbles create a permanent carpet, bordered with the diamond shaped pattern of the Grimaldi coat of arms.