Amiens Cathedral, south nave aisle, looking north east
Here you have a magnificent view of three of the great spatial regimes of the cathedral. First, the south nave aisle, stretching to the east, supported by the piers of the main arcade and, on its outer edge, by the great buttresses (invisible here) that line the nave. Second, ahead of you, is a distant view of the transept, cutting across the space of the aisle. And third, to the left, you can see the soaring main vessel with its three stories: arcade, triforium and clerestory. Admire the beauty of the supports of the main arcade. These are piliers cantonnés made up of a central cylindrical core flanked by four shafts or colonnettes.
The most important design decision made by the builders was to follow the three-story elevation of Chartres, Soissons and Reims Cathedrals rather than the old-fashioned gallery of Notre-Dame of Paris and Laon Cathedral
