The tallest cathedral in the world is not St. Peter’s in Rome, the Duomo in Milan, the rebuilt Notre-Dame-de-Paris or Sagrada Família in Barcelona (Gaudi's masterpiece holds another title – the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world).
What is the world's tallest cathedral?
Given its monumental 13th-century choir – it is 48.5 meters high – the tallest cathedral in the world seems to be Saint-Pierre de Beauvais. Described by the medievalist architect Viollet-le-Duc as the "Parthenon of French culture", it was built between 1225 and 1569 with the ambition of becoming the largest Gothic cathedral in France, ahead of Amiens – a goal it achieved between 1569 and 1573, when it became the tallest man-made structure in the world. Today, Saint-Pierre de Beauvais is split into two separate cathedrals, its construction never having been completed due to various historical events. In Beauvais, you can visit "la Basse Œuvre", the older cathedral, and Saint-Pierre, the newer building. Finally, this cathedral breaks another record, boasting the oldest working carillon clock and the most complex mechanical clock ever built.
According to another theory, Rouen's spire is the tallest cathedral in the world. Indeed, Rouen's Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption dominates all others thanks to its 151-metre-high spire. Particularly spectacular, this spire soars into the Norman sky with unrivalled majesty. The first stones were also laid in the Middle Ages (1035), and the last in 1506. Its "lantern tower", emblematic of the local style of the time, allows light to enter the building through its openwork openings. It was built in the 19th century in a neo-Gothic style. Rouen's Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption was made famous by Claude Monet's 30 paintings of the church at different times of day. It is also considered "the most human of cathedrals", due to its imperfect symmetry.
What's the world's largest cathedral?
In terms of volume, the "biggest" cathedral in the world is Amiens, which spans 200,000 cubic meters - 100 times larger than St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, which contains just 20,000 cubic meters, and twice as large as Notre-Dame-de-Paris, which is 100,000 cubic meters wide.
In terms of surface area only, however, St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City is the world's largest cathedral. It covers an area of 2.3 hectares, almost 4 times the size of a soccer pitch. In fact, it can hold over 6,000 people inside.
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Which are the tallest churches in France?
No need to reintroduce this edifice, which ranks first in the world.
Again, according to the chapels, this cathedral also tops the world rankings.
At 142 meters high, it was the world's tallest building between 1647 and 1874. Today, it is the second most visited cathedral in France, after Notre-Dame-de-Paris.
Built between the 11th and 18th centuries, the Abbey is a fine example of the Norman style emblematic of regional religious buildings.
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Renowned for hosting a sound and light festival on its façade every summer, Notre-Dame de Chartres is one of the best-preserved Gothic cathedrals in France. It can be seen from up to 30 meters away – the Beauce region being particularly flat!
Characteristic of the flamboyant Gothic style, Bordeaux's Basilique Saint-Michel is independent of its bell tower, a 114.6-metre-high campanile.
Nicknamed "the wonder of the Low Countries" for the height of its spire (114 meters), this cathedral is one of the most remarkable in France.
Almost as tall as Cambrai, the Sainte-Croix d'Orléans cathedral is also 114 meters high.
As well as being one of the most voluminous in the world, Amiens cathedral is also one of the tallest in France, towering 112.7 meters into the sky.
The only contemporary church in this ranking. Saint-Joseph was built in 1951 to symbolize the rebirth of Le Havre, which had been destroyed by bombing in 1944. Designed in concrete by Auguste Perret, it is an important emblem of twentieth-century architecture, thanks in particular to its lighthouse-like steeple, visible from dozens of kilometres out to sea.
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