Amiens Cathedral, Choir from south east

We are in the Place S-Michel named after a church which once stood here. Saint Michael was often associated with city walls: the old Roman wall which had run right across the middle of the site needed for the new choir had been demolished as early as the 1180s and a new city wall constructed to the east.. The free-standing structure to the left was originally built in the years around 1300 as a chapter house. It was linked with a gallery (cloister) that encircled the cemetery to the east of the chevet (demolished in 1806). Because the gallery was decorated with images of the Dance of Death (Dance Macabre) the former chapter house became known as the Chapelle des Macchabées (from Macabre). It now serves as sacristy.
Standing a bit further back from the cathedral we are able to see the transition between the work of Thomas and Renaud de Cormont, father and son. Renaud was responsible for the more ornately decorated work above the level of the aisle roofs: note the openwork flying buttresses and gabled clerestory