Early Gothic architecture

Dr Uday Dokras
Early Gothic is the term for the first period of Gothic architecture which lasted from about
1120 until about 1200. The early Gothic builders used innovative technologies to resolve the
problem of masonry ceilings which were too heavy for the traditional arched barrel vault. The
solutions to the problem came in the form of the rib vault, where thin stone ribs passed the
weight of the ceiling to rows of columns and outside the walls to another innovation,
the flying buttress.

Gothic appeared in the Île-de-France region of France, around Paris, and spread quickly to
other regions, and to England and Germany. It combined several existing technologies,
notably the rib vault, pointed arch, flying buttress, to build much higher and thinner walls,
which allowed more space for stained glass windows and more light in the interior.

Early examples of Early Gothic include the east end, chapels and ambulatory of the Abbey of
Saint Denis in Paris, (1135-1144). The style soon spread from the Paris region to other parts
of France, and then to England. Notable examples of early English Gothic include the Trinity
Chapel of Canterbury Cathedral, built under the supervision of William of Sens, who had
worked on Sens Cathedral, an early example of early French Gothic architecture.

Early Gothic architecture was the result of the emergence in the 12th century of a powerful
French state centered in the Île-de-France. King Louis VI of France (1081–1137), had
succeeded, after a long struggle, in bringing the barons of northern France under his control,
and successfully defended his domain against attacks by the English King, Henry I of
England (1100–1135). Under Louis and his successors, cathedrals were the most visible
symbol of the unity of the French church and state. During the reign of Louis VI of
France (1081–1137), Paris was the principal residence of the Kings of France. During
the Carolingian era Reims Cathedral was the place of coronation, and the Abbey of Saint-
Denis became the ceremonial royal burial place. The King and his successors lavishly
supported the construction and enlargement of abbeys and cathedrals.

The Abbot of Saint-Denis, Suger, was not only a prominent religious figure but also first
minister to Louis VI and Louis VII. He oversaw the royal administration when the King was
absent on the Crusades. He commissioned the reconstruction of the Basilica of Saint-Denis,
making it the first and most influential example of the new style in France.

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 a. Basilica of Saint Denis, west facade (1130–1140)
b. Ambulatory of Basilica of Saint-Denis (c. 1140)
c. Nave of Sens Cathedral (1140–1164)

Innovations

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Early Gothic architecture was the solution that the first Gothic builders found to resolve the
problem of the earlier Romanesque style; masonry ceilings which were too heavy for the
traditional arched barrel vault. The solution to the problem came in the form of the Gothic rib
vault, where thin stone ribs spread the weight of the ceiling outward and downwards to flying
buttresses.

Another important innovation of the High Gothic was a change in the interior elevations. As
thinner walls were made possible by buttresses, intermediate levels, such as
the triforium were gradually made smaller. or eliminated. After 1194, the builders of Chartres
Cathedral enitlrely removed the tribune, making more space for stained glass.

Stained glass windows were an important feature of early Gothic architecture, and they were
significantly larger than those in earlier periods. Their purpose was to fill the church interior
with a mystical coloured light, representing the Holy Spirit, and to illustrate Bible stores for
the majority of parishioners who could not read.The windows were necessarily small,
because, before the invention of the stone ribs of bar tracery, the windows were held together
only with thin strips of iron.[

Classification of periods
In the classification of architecture periods, Early Gothic raises certain issues. Early Gothic is
defined as a style that used some principle elements of Gothic, but not all. Especially, it had
no fine tracery. It marks the first phase of a division of Gothic style into three periods. If it is
used for all countries, it has to be regarded that there may be special terms for the styles of
single countries, such as Early English in England.

In France, where Gothic style began, another phasing has been established:

 Gothique primitif (Primary Gothic) or Gothique premier (First Gothic), from

short before 1140 until short after 1180, marked by tribunes above the aisles
of basilicas.
 Gothique classique (Classic Gothic), from the 1180s to the first third of 13th
century, marked by basilicas without lateral tribunes and with triforia without
windows. Some buildings of this phase, like Chartres Cathedral, have to be
subsumed to Early Gothic, others, like the Reims Cathedral and the western parts
of Amiens Cathedral, have to be subsumed to High Gothic.
 Gothique rayonnant (Radiant or Shining Gothic), from the second third of 13th
century to the first half of 14th century, marked by triforia with windows and a
general preference for stained glass instead of stone walls. It forms the greater
portion of High Gothic.
 Gothique flamboyant (Flaming Gothic), since mid 14th century, marked by
swinging and flaming (that makes the term) forms of tracery.
The term "Early Gothic" should not be extended backward; if Durham Cathedral and other
buildings with the first rib vaults in Romanesque walls are subsumed to this style, most of
German Late Romanesque architecture would be Early Gothic.

Primary Gothic appeared in northern France in the 130s. In Normandy, it was mixed with
regional traditions. In England, it gave the example for Early English architecture. It
combined and developed several key elements from earlier styles, particularly
from Romanesque architecture, including the rib vault, flying buttress, and the pointed arch,

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and used them in innovative ways to create structures, particularly Gothic cathedrals and
churches, of exceptional height and grandeur, filled with light from stained glass windows.
Notable examples of early Gothic architecture in France include the ambulatory and facade
of Saint-Denis Basilica; Sens Cathedral (1140); Laon Cathedral; Senlis Cathedral; (1160) and
most famously Notre-Dame de Paris (begun 1160).

Early English Gothic was influenced by the French style, particularly in the new choir
of Canterbury Cathedral, but soon developed its own particular characteristics, particularly an
emphasis for length over height, and more complex and asymmetric floor plans, square rather
than rounded east ends, and polychrome decoration, using Purbeck marble. Major examples
are the nave and west front of Wells Cathedral, the choir of Lincoln Cathedral, and the early
portions of Salisbury Cathedral.

Early Gothic was succeeded in the early 13th century by a new wave of larger and taller
buildings, with further technical innovations, in a style later known as High Gothic.

Early French Gothic cathedrals

Basilica of Saint-Denis
The Basilica of Saint-Denis was important because it was the burial place of the French
Kings of the Capetian dynasty from the late 10th until the early 14th century. It attracted a
very large number of pilgrims, attracted by the relics of Saint Denis, the patron saint of Paris.
To accommodate the large number of pilgrims, Suger first constructed a new narthex and
façade at the west end, with twin towers and a rose window in the centre.

The most original and influential step made by Suger was the creation of the chevet, or east
end, with radiating chapels. Here he used the pointed arch and rib vault in a new way,
replacing the thick dividing walls with arched rib vaults poised on columns with sculpted
capitals. Suger wrote that the new chevet was "ennobled by the beauty of length and width."
And "the midst of the edifice was suddenly raised aloft by twelve columns". He added that,
when creating this feature, he was inspired by the ancient Roman columns he had seen in the
ruins of the Baths of Diocletian and elsewhere in Rome.[11] He described the finished work as
"a circular string of chapels, by virtue of which the whole church would shine with the
wonderful and uninterrupted light of most luminous windows, pervading the interior beauty."

Suger was an admirer of the doctrines of the early Christian philosopher John Scotus
Eriugena (c. 810–87) and Dionysus, or the Pseudo-Areopagite, who taught that light was a
divine manifestation, and that all things were "material lights", reflecting the infinite light of
God himself.[12] Therefore, stained glass became a way to create a glowing, unworldly light
ideal for religious reflection

According to Suger, every aspect of the new apse architecture had a symbolic meaning. The
twelve columns separating the chapels, he wrote, represented the twelve Apostles, while the
twelve columns of the side aisles represented the minor prophets of the Old Testament.

The Basilica, including the upper parts of the choir and the apse, were extensively modified
into the Rayonnant style in the 1230s, but the original early Gothic ambulatory and chapels
can still be seen.

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Detail of the west front (12th c.) restored 1839

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 Tympanum and lintel of the central portal "Last Judgement (c. 1135, restored
1839)/Early decoration of West Front//Saint Fermin chapel (12th c.)
Sens Cathedral
The construction of the choir and ambulatory of Sens Cathedral began before the construction
of the ambulatory of Saint-Denis. Therefore, the ambulatory is rather Romanesque than
Gothic. All adjacent chapels are much later and no more Primary Gothic. But its arcades and
triforia already fit the criteria of Gothic architecture. [12] It was constructed between 1135 and
1164. Different from the other cathedrals of Primary Gothic, it has no tribunes above the
aisles, but triforia as one of three levels, alike some Romanesque basilicas before and Classic
Gothic afterwards. It used the new six-part rib vault in the nave, giving the church
exceptional width and height. Because the six-part vaults distributed the weight unevenly, the
vaults were supported by alternating massive square piers and more slender round columns. It
had a wide impact on the Gothic style not only in France, but also in England, because its
master builder, William of Sens, was invited to England and introduced Early Gothic features
to the reconstructed choir of Canterbury Cathedral.

In the following centuries, all clerestories were remodelled, and the transept is Flamboyant.

<

Elevation of Sens Cathedral: three levels; the tribune above the aisle, typical for
Early Gothic or Primary Gothic, is still missing./Facade of Sens Cathedral (1135–64)

Senlis Cathedral
Senlis Cathedral was built between 1153 and 1191. Its length was limited by modest budget
and by the placement of the building against the city wall. Like Sens cathedral, it was
composed of a nave without a transept, flanked by a single collateral. The radiating chapels
of the choir are separate extensions of the ambulatory (different from Saint-Denis, where they
form something like an outer aisle). They gave an example for Magdeburg Cathedral that was

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begun in 1209 and has a polygonal ambulatory and chapels. The elevation of Senlis originally
had four levels, including large tribunes. Like Sens, Senlis Cathedral had alternating strong
and weak piers to receive the uneven thrust from the six-part rib vaults. The church
underwent considerable rebuilding in the 13th and 16th century, including a new tower and
new interior decorations. Many of the early Gothic features are overladen
with Flamboyant and later decoration. In the 16th century, the triforia disappeared, whereas
the tribunes kept their Primary Gothic layout until today.

o Senlis Cathedral/Nave: arcades and tribunes 1153–91

o Sculpted capitals of the piers, Chapel of Sainte-Genevieve

Buttresses of Primary Gothic, Flamboyant clerestory of C XVI

Noyon Cathedral
Noyon Cathedral, begun between 1150 and 1155, was the first of a series of famous
Cathedrals to appear in Picardy, the prosperous region north of Paris. The city has an
important connection with French history, as the coronation site of Charlemagne and of the
early French King Hugh Capet. The new cathedral still had many Romanesque features,
including prominent transepts with rounded ends and deep galleries, but it introduced several
Gothic innovations, including the fourth level, the triforium a narrow passageway between
the ground-level gallery, the tribunes, and the top level clerestory, Noyon also used massive
compound piers alternating with round columns, necessary because of the uneven weight
distribution from the six-part vaults. [12] The east end has five radiating chapels and three
levels of windows, creating a created a dramatic flood of light into the nave.

Noyon Cathedral

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 Façade, 1200–1235, Classic Gothic// Choir, begun short after 1150, elevation with 4
levels: arcade, tribune, triforium, clerestory//The alternating piers and columns of the
grand arcade, which support the vaults
Laon Cathedral
Laon Cathedral was begun in 1155, in the Early Gothic or Primary Gothic style. In about
1180, the (first) choir, crossing and transept and the eastern five bays of the nave were
finished. The western part of the nave and the façade followed until 1200. Therefore, the
façade is already an example of Classic Gothic; Villard de Honnecourt praised the innovative
upper parts of the towers. But the original choir began to decay and in 1205–1220 was
replaced by the actual one. Following English examples, it has no apse, but a rectangular east
end.

Choir of Laon Cathedral, replaced in 1205–1220, Classic Gothic & "English"

Laon was built upon a hilltop one hundred metres high, making it visible from a great
distance. The hilltop imposed a special burden for the builders; all the stones had to be
carried to the top of the hill in carts drawn by oxen. The oxen who did the work were
honoured by statues on the tower of the finished cathedral.

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Laon was also unusual because of its five towers; two on the west front, two on the transepts,
and an octagonal lantern on crossing. Laon, like most early Gothic cathedrals, had four
interior levels. Laon also had alternating octagonal and square piers supporting the nave, but
these rested upon massive pillars made of dreamlike sections of stone, giving it greater
harmony and a greater sensation of length. The new cathedral was unusual in form; the apse
on the east was flat, not rounded, and the choir was exceptionally long, nearly as long as the
nave. Another striking feature of Laon Cathedral were the three great rose windows, one on
the west facade and two on the transepts. (Only the west and north windows still remain).
Another unusual feature at Laon is the lantern tower at the transept crossing, most likely
inspired by the Norman Gothic abbey churches in Caen.

Laon Cathedral was the model for the first Gothic project in Germany, the rebuilding
of Limburg Cathedral, begun in the 1180s.

Laon Cathedral

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 Eastern part of the nave (before 1180), towards the choir, replaced in
1205–1220.//Façade (1180–1200)// "English" footplan
Notre Dame de Paris
Notre Dame de Paris was the largest of the Early Gothic cathedrals, and marked the summit
of the Early Gothic in France. It was begun in 1163 by the Bishop Maurice de Sully with the
intention of surpassing all other existing churches in Europe. The new cathedral was 122
meters long and 35 meters high, eleven meters higher than Laon Cathedral, the previous
tallest church. It featured a central nave flanked by double collaterals, and a choir surrounded
by a double ambulatory, without radiating chapels. (The current chapels were added between
the buttresses in the 14th century).

The builders covered the interior of the cathedral with six-part vaults, but unlike Sens and
other the earlier cathedrals they did not use alternating piers and columns to support them.
The vaults were supported instead by bundles of three uninterrupted slender columns which
were received by rows massive pillars with capitals decorated with classical decoration. This
gave the nave greater harmony.

The upper parts of the choir were built at about 1182 or 1185, not long before Chartres
Cathedral. Its original elevations were intermediate between tree levels and four levels: above
the tribunes there were no veritable triforia, but a clerestory with two levels of windows, the
lower level consisted of small rose windows, and the upper level of modest pointed arched
windows without tracery.

In the 13th century, when it was decided that the interior was too dark, and the upright
windows were enlarged downward into the area of the small roses. Around the transept, the
original design was reconstructed during the restoration by Viollet-le-Duc.

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The flying buttress made its first appearance in Paris in the early 13th century, either at Notre
Dame, or perhaps earlier in the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Pres. The buttresses reached
from heavy towers outside the nave, over the top of the tribunes, and pressed directly against
the upper walls of the nave, countering the outward thrust from the ceiling vaults. This made
possible thinner walls and the installation of larger windows in the upper walls of the nave [23]

Notre Dame de Paris

Reconstructed Early Gothic clerestories adjacent to the northern transept.//Nave

looking to the east: six-part rib vaults, clerestories remodeled after 1220, three levels
only.//West façade: rose level built at about 1220.

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 The flying buttresses of Notre Dame as they appeared in about 1220–30 (drawn
by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc)

Eugène Viollet-Le-Duc: The Architect Who Reshaped Notre-Dame de Paris

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Notre-Dame de Paris, the famous cathedral, made the headlines in April 2019 because of the
fire that destroyed its medieval roof. The distinctive appearance of the gothic cathedral dates
back to the 12th and 13th centuries. However, not all the unique features of Notre-Dame are
genuinely medieval.Over the centuries, the monument suffered from pillage and destruction,
especially during the 1789 French Revolution. At the beginning of the 19th century, Notre-
Dame was in ruins. Parisian authorities chose the young architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc to
supervise the restoration. The architect not only restored but also reshaped the medieval
cathedral.

Along with the restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris, Eugène Viollet-le-Duc is famous for
other restoration projects he supervised, particularly those involving medieval architecture —
his specialty. During the 19th century, the era of Romanticism and the glorification of the
past, Viollet-le-Duc significantly contributed to creating public awareness of the importance
of preserving and restoring France’s architectural heritage. Because his architectural theories
were based on rationalism, Viollet-le-Duc became the leader of the French structural
rationalist movement. The materials and aim of a structure defined its architectural approach.
His theories were part of the premises of modern architecture and Viollet-le-Duc notably
influenced numerous modern architects such as Victor Horta, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Le
Corbusier.

Caricature of Viollet-le-Duc, Giraud, 1861, via Libération.fr; with Portrait of Viollet-le-Duc,

Félix Nadar, via Images d’Art

Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc, one of the most famous French architects of the 19th
century, was born in Paris in 1814. Eugène’s passion for architecture was rooted in his

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family. His grandfather was an architect, and his father was the Governor of Royal
Residences in the Tuileries Palace.

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Viollet-le-Duc was a genius in his field. He acquired an enormous amount of knowledge,

which he used to plan his restoration projects thoroughly. He planned every detail carefully
and monitored the builders’ work, making sure that everything followed his plans. Eugène
designed everything, from prominent architectural elements such as spires to the small
decorative details such as the junctions of parquet floors. He was a universal architect and did
everything himself. He had a deep knowledge of all the various trades involved in a building
site.

Vézelay Abbey, via Tourisme Yonne; with Vézelay Abbey, elevation of the western façade,
Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, 1840, via Images d’Art

The 19th century marked a dawning public awareness of the need to preserve French
architectural heritage. Following the 1789 French Revolution, and the ensuing pillage and
demolition of landmarks and buildings all over the country, numerous personalities pleaded
for the protection of historical monuments. It was also the era of the Romantic Movement,
which glorified the past, especially the Middle Ages.

In 1830, the French authorities created a new job: Inspector of Historic Monuments. The
appointed person was in charge of inventorying France’s built heritage and allowing funds
for their conservation and restoration. Archaeologist and historian Prosper Mérimée became
the inspector in 1834 and he appointed Eugène Viollet-le-Duc to his first restoration project
in 1840. Mérimée chose the young Eugène to work on the rehabilitation of Vézelay Abbey,

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today a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in
eastern France. With cracked walls and a collapsed tower, the abbey was in a poor state.

Vézelay Abbey, elevation of the southern façade, Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, via Médiathèque de
l’Architecture et du Patrimoine

This first restoration project which lasted until 1859, allowed Eugène to develop the concepts
that would form his architectural theory. He favored the architectural structure of the building
over the decor and he banned the use of modern materials such as iron.

In his 1856 Dictionary of French Architecture From the 11th to the 16th Centuries, Viollet-
le-Duc explained that: “To restore a building is not to preserve it, to repair, or rebuild it; it
is to reinstate it in a condition of completeness which could never have existed at any given
time.” This quote explains his theory well. Viollet-le-Duc’s goal was to reach his ideal of
what medieval architecture was, regardless of whether the building had ever looked that way.

Notre-Dame de Paris, the Ruined Gothic Cathedral

In 1842, Prosper Mérimée commissioned the restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris. The

medieval cathedral that had hosted many historical French events, such as the coronation of
Emperor Napoleon in 1804, was in ruins.

The gothic cathedral dates back to the 12th century. In 1160, the bishop of Paris, Maurice de
Sully, oversaw the building of a larger sanctuary, replacing the older and smaller Roman
cathedral. Several centuries were necessary to complete the construction. Over the years, the
monument suffered from pillaging and degradation, most notably during the 1789 French
Revolution. During these troubled times, the cathedral lost its sacred function and became the
target of revolutionaries who were searching for royal symbols to destroy. On top of that,

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Notre-Dame, like many other buildings, suffered successive clumsy transformations and
restorations at a time when historical accuracy was not considered important.

Notre-Dame de Paris, north-western view, photograph by Augustin Hippolyte Collard, ca.

1867-78, via Ministère de la Culture

Notre-Dame de Paris, southern façade and roof, photographs by Médéric Mieusement, 1892,
via Ministère de la Culture

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Although it is unthinkable today, due to its poor state of conservation, Notre-Dame was about
to be demolished. Thanks to certain personalities, such as Victor Hugo and his 1831
novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (Notre-Dame de Paris in French), the ruined gothic
cathedral gained renewed interest in the public eye, and the authorities considered restoring
it. Notre-Dame de Paris was saved!

Paris’ authorities chose the 28 years old Viollet-le-Duc and Jean-Baptiste Antoine Lassus to
restore the cathedral. The two architects presented a thoroughly studied, detailed, and above
all, extremely innovative project, winning the favor of the jury. A few years after the
beginning of the work, Lassus died, leaving Viollet-le-Duc the only master of the restoration
until its completion in 1864. The initial settled budget of 2,650,000 francs rapidly evaporated,
and the work had to stop until further funds were granted.

Facing the Dilemmas of Restoration

Notre-Dame de Paris, drawing of the spire, Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, via Connaissance des
Arts; with Notre-Dame de Paris, restoration project, Eugène Viollet-le-Duc and Jean-
Baptiste Lassus, via Images d’Art

Even today, restoration is challenging. Viollet-le-Duc and Lassus faced the dilemma of
having to choose between different time periods for the construction. The cathedral’s 12th-
century exterior had been heavily transformed during the 13th century, while the inside was
remodeled during the 18th century. The architects had to make decisions about the preferred
state of Notre-Dame.

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Several decisions were difficult to make. For instance, innovative 13th-century building
techniques allowed the builders to widen the windows, bringing more light into the dark
building. A key question was whether the restorers should favor the cathedral’s original state
or the 13th-century improvements. Viollet-le-Duc and Lassus decided to restore a few
features of the 12th-century cathedral, such as the rose windows. They had the same dilemma
with the 13th-century flying buttresses, which did not exist in the early years of the cathedral.
The architects chose to keep them. Viollet-le-Duc and Lassus mainly favored the rayonnant
style of the 13th century, instead of the original roman style.

As thorough as the restorers’ study of the cathedral’s history had been, they made a few
mistakes due to incorrect facts conveyed in the literature. For example, since the 13th
century, it was common knowledge that the sculpted figures standing on the gothic
cathedral’s front wall, between the two towers, represented the kings of France. This was a
common mistake. These sculptures actually portrayed the Kings of Judah. Due to this
misunderstanding, the sculpted kings became targets during the Revolution, wrongly seen as
a symbol of the French monarchy.

Statue of Saint Thomas the Apostle, with the features of Viollet-le-Duc, photographs by
Harmonia Amanda, via Franceinter.frSculpted Chimeras, Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, via
Books.fr

Among Viollet-le-Duc’s most remarkable achievements from the restoration of Notre-Dame

are the sculpted replicas of the numerous missing medieval sculptures. Based on a few low-
quality engravings and existing examples on other French cathedrals, Viollet-le-Duc made
drawings of more than a hundred statues. Along with his team of great sculptors, they
achieved a nearly perfect reconstruction of the medieval sculptures. Viollet-le-Duc gave the
sculptors detailed instructions to follow and closely overlooked their work. The architect
even gave his own features to one of the copper statues that used to stand on the cathedral’s
roof: Saint Thomas, the apostle. Yet, Notre-Dame de Paris is famous mainly for its gargoyles
and chimeras. Although the gargoyles — the sculpted, beast-like gutters typical of gothic
architecture — are medieval, the chimeras are one of Viollet-le-Duc’s additions with no
archeological base. The chimeras served a decorative purpose and referenced the fascination
with legendary beasts during the Middle Ages. Eugène designed the sculptures mainly based
on Honoré Daumier’s caricatures and an illustrated version of The Hunchback of Notre-
Dame. The chimeras, which became a huge hit, exemplify Viollet-le-Duc’s creative genius,
although they are an aspect of his work that is often criticized.

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The Debate Surrounding Viollet-le-Duc’s Work

Flames burn through the roof of Notre-Dame, photograph by Julien De Rosa, April 15 2019,
via Buzz Feed News

The Notre-Dame fire in April 2019 brought Eugène Viollet-le-Duc to the center of the
discussions about the cathedral’s restoration. The same dilemma he faced almost two
centuries ago, the authorities now have to face again, saddled with the difficult task of
choosing which of the different states of the cathedral’s history should be restored. What
about Viollet-le-Duc’s restoration and additions? Viollet-le-Duc has both admirers and
detractors. For over a century, Viollet-le-Duc’s work was scorned. He restored French
heritage in an interpretative way, and people often criticized his work.

In the case of Notre-Dame de Paris, the public and experts blamed Viollet-le-Duc for his
restoration work, criticizing him for copying only the 13th-century cathedral, alienating the
building’s older past. People should bear in mind that when he began the restoration, the
building had been left to decay for over a century. They did urgent work so it would not
collapse. The available historical sources at his time were not equivalent to today. Unlike his
predecessors, Viollet-le-Duc tried as much as possible to work with materials used by
medieval builders. Furthermore, his extensive research and countless drawings allowed him
to acquire considerable knowledge about medieval architecture. He based his work on this
knowledge to achieve a result worthy of medieval splendor, at least in his opinion.

Viollet-le-Duc should not be seen as an architect who only made up elements and details that
never existed, driven only by his imagination. While discovering Italy, Eugène explained in a
letter to his father that before changing or embellishing monuments, the architect should
carefully study architectural elements of the past with an objective eye. It perfectly sums up
his thirst for knowledge. It was only during the 1980s that Viollet-le-Duc’s methods and the
19th century, in general, were partly rehabilitated.

Notre-Dame de Paris and Eugène Viollet-le-Duc’s Legacy

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Masonry and Iron Construction, maintenance drawing, Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, 1868, via
Images d’Art; with Iron-frame House with Glazed Earthenware Cladding, Eugène Viollet-le-
Duc, 1871, via Google Arts & Culture

Based on an article by By Marie-Madeleine Renauld

Chartres Cathedral (1194–1225

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 Chartres Cathedral
Chartres Cathedral was the site of four annual trade fairs on the Feast Days of the Virgin
Mary and a popular pilgrimage site that displayed the reputed tunic that Mary wore when
giving birth to Christ.[24] A series of earlier cathedrals in Chartres beginning in the fourth
century, were destroyed by fire. The cathedral immediately previous to the present church
burned in 1194, leaving only the crypt, towers, and the recently built west front. Rebuilding
began the same year, with support from the Pope, the King, and the wealthy nobility and
merchants of the city.

Concerning its windows (without tracery or with plate tracery), this cathedral was still an
example of Early Gothic, but its elevations were innovative. Therefore Chartres Cathedral is
considered the initial building of Classic Gothic. The arcades and aisles were much taller than
in the first Gothic cathedrals, and the tribune were omitted. Also the clerestories were higher
than in any basilica before it. Except for their lowest parts, the apse and the chapels were
polygonal.

Work was nearly completed by 1225, with the architecture, glass and sculpture finished,
though the seven steeples were still being rebuilt. It was not formally reconsecrated until

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1260. Only a few changes were made since that time, including the addition of a new chapel
dedicated to Saint Piat in 1326, and the covering of the choir columns with stucco and the
addition of marble reliefs in behind the stalls in the 1750s.

The new cathedral was 130.2 meters long and 30 meters high in the nave longer and higher
than Notre-Dame de Paris. Since the cathedral was constructed with the new flying
buttresses, the walls were more stable, enabling the builders to eliminate the tribune level,
and have more space for windows.

The lower portions of the west front (1134–1150) are Early Gothic. The north and south
transepts fronts are High Gothic, as is the sculpture of the six thirteenth-century portals. The
spire on the north tower is later Flamboyant.[24] Chartres still has much of its original
medieval stained glass, famous for the deep color called Chartres blue.

Chartres Cathedral

The choir and the apse chapels of Chartres Cathedral, except for the crypts already
polygonal//South side of the nave: No fine tracery, except for the Flamboyant window
on the very right
Bourges Cathedral (1195–1230)

Bourges Cathedral
While most High Gothic cathedrals generally followed the Chartres plan, Bourges
Cathedral took a different direction. It was built by Bishop Henri de Sully, whose
brother, Eudes de Sully, was the bishop of Paris, and its construction in several ways
followed Notre-Dame de Paris and not Chartres. Like Chartres, the builders simplified the
vertical plan to three levels; grand arcades, triforium, and high windows. The triforium was

22
simplified a long horizontal band, the entire length of the church. However, unlike Paris,
Bourges continued to use the older six-part rib vault used in Paris. This meant that the weight
of the vaults fell unevenly upon the nave, and required, like Early Gothic cathedrals,
alternating strong and weak pillars. This was artfully hidden by the use of large cylindrical
piers, each surrounded by eight engaged colonettes. The piers of the arcade are particularly
imposing; each is 21 m (69 ft) tall.Choir and chapels of Bourges cathedral still have
semicircular ends.

Since Bourges used six-part rib vaults instead of the lighter four-part vaults, the upper walls
had to resist greater outward thrust, and the flying buttresses had to be more effective. The
Bourges buttresses used a unique design with a particularly acute angle, which gave it the
necessary force, but it was also reinforced by thicker and stronger walls than Chartres.

The predominant sensation at Bourges is not only great height, but great length and interior
space; the cathedral is 120 m (390 ft) long, without a transept or other interruption. [28] The
most unusual feature of Bourges Cathedral is the arrangement of vertical height; each part of
the elevation is set back, like steps, with the highest roof and vaults over the central aisle. The
outermost aisles have vaults nine meters high; the intermediate aisles have vaults 21.3 m
(70 ft) high; and the center aisle has vaults 37.5 m (123 ft) high.

Many later Gothic cathedrals followed the Chartres model, but several were influenced by
Bourges, including Le Mans Cathedral, the modified Beauvais Cathedral, and Toledo
Cathedral in Spain, which copied the system of vaults of different heights.[27]

Bourges Cathedral

Nave, with 21-meter-high piers of the grand arcades/The chevet, all windows
without tracery.
Angevin Gothic
Most buildings of Plantagenet style, also called Angevin Gothic, by dating and by shape are
part of early Gothic. In the reconstruction of Angers Cathedral begun by bishop Normand de
Doué, 1148–1152, the first Angevin vault were constructed. Poitiers Cathedral, erected since
1166 is known as the first Gothic hall church. Its eastern parts are Early Gothic with some
Romanesque elements; its western parts have High Gothic tracery.

Early Classic or High Gothic

Some notable examples of Classic Gothic and High Gothic cathedrals, such as Chartres
Cathedral (see above) and Bourges Cathedral also have elements of Early Gothic
architecture.

23
Early Gothic in Normandy
Experiments with Gothic features were also underway in Normandy in the late 11th and 12th
centuries. In 1098 Lessay Abbey was given an early version of the pointed rib vault in the
choir.[29] The church of Saint-Pierre de Lisieux, begun in the 1170s, featured the more modern
four-part rib vaults and flying buttresses. Other experiments with Gothic rib vaults and other
features took place in Caen, in the churches of the two large royal abbeys churches,
the Abbey of Saint-Étienne, Caen and the Abbey of Sainte-Trinité, Caen, but they remained
essentially Norman Romanesque churches.[

Rouen Cathedral had notable early Gothic features, added when the interior was
reconstructed from Romanesque to Gothic by archbishop Gautier de Coutances beginning in
1185. The new Gothic nave was given four levels, while the later choir had the newly
fashionable three.[30]

English Early Gothic-Durham Cathedral (1235)

Durham Cathedral Nave with reconstructed

vaults (c. 1235)
English architects had experimented with early Gothic features. At Durham Cathedral, a
Romanesque church, a traverse of the nave and lower aisle was made with an early variation
a rib vault, a ribbed groin vault, or meeting place of two barrel vaults, with stone ribs. The
ribbed groin vaults were installed in 1093–96 and were the first of their kind in Europe. As
the work continued, the builders experimented with an even bolder variation, using pointed
instead of rounded arches, to spread the weight outwards. The new pointed rib vaults were
installed over the south transept and nave beginning in 1130. The new vaults were not
successful; the thin panels between the ribs were made of plastered rubble, and were too
heavy and cracked, and in 1235 they had to be replaced. Newer and lighter versions of the rib
vault, using small pieces of cut stone in the panels, rather than plastered rubble, were
developed in Normandy and the Ile-de-France. Pointed Rib vaults did not fully take hold in
England until the second half of the 12th century.

Canterbury Cathedral (1174-1184)

One of the first major buildings in England to use the new style was Canterbury Cathedral. A
fire destroyed the mainly Romanesque choir in September 1174, and leading architects from
England and France were invited to offer plans for its reconstruction. The winner of this
competition was a French master builder, William of Sens, who had been involved in the
construction of Sens Cathedral, the first complete Gothic cathedral in France.

Many limitations were put upon William of Sens by the monks who ran the cathedral. He was
not allowed to replace entirely the original Norman church, and had to fit his new structure
on the old crypt and within the surviving outer Norman walls. Nonetheless, he achieved a
strikingly original sculpture, showing elements inspired by Notre-Dame de Paris and Laon
24
Cathedral. Following the French model, he used six-part rib vaults, pointed arches,
supporting columns with carved acanthus leaf decoration, and a semi-circular ambulatory.
However, other elements were purely English, such as the use of dark Purbeck marble to
create decorative contrasts with the pale stone brought from Normandy. The work was
described by a monk and chronicler, Gervase of Canterbury. Contrasting the old with the new
choir. He wrote: "There, the arches and everything else was plain, or sculpted with an axe and
not with a chisel. But here almost throughout is appropriate sculpture. There used to be no
marble shafts, but here are innumerable ones. There in the circuit round the choir, the vaults
were plain, but here they are arch-ribbed and have key-stones."

William of Sens fell from a scaffolding in 1178 and was seriously injured, and returned to
France, where he died, and his work was continued by an English architect, William the
Englishman, who constructed the Trinity Chapel in the apse and the Corona in the east end,
which were monuments to Thomas Becket, who had been murdered in the cathedral. The new
structure had many French features, such as the doubled columns in the Trinity chapel, and
piers replaced by Purbeck-marble wall shafts. But it also retained many specifically English
features, such as a great variety in the level and placement of the spaces; the Trinity chapel,
for example is sixteen steps above the Choir). It also retaining rather than eliminated the
transepts - Canterbury had two. Early English Gothic put an emphasis on great length;
Canterbury was doubled in length between 1096 and 1130.

One reason for the differences between French and English Gothic was that French
Benedictine abbey-churches usually put different functions into separate buildings, while in
England they were usually combined in the same structure. Similar complicated
multifunctional designs were found not only in Canterbury, but in the abbey-churches of
Bath, Coventry, Durham, Ely, Norwich, Rochester, Winchester and Worcester.

Choir of Canterbury Cathedral rebuilt by William of Sens (1174–1184)//The

windows and vaults of Trinity Chapel, Canterbury Cathedral////Fountains
Abbey, North Yorkshire (c. 1132)
The Cistercian abbeys
Another notable form of early English Gothic architecture was that of
the Cistercian monasteries. The Cistercian order had been formed in 1098 as a reaction
against the opulence and ornament of the Benedictine order and its monasteries. The

25
architecture of the Cistercians was based upon simplicity and functionality. All decoration
was forbidden. The Cistercian monasteries were in remote locations, far from the cities. They
were closed in 1539 during the reign of Henry VIII, and now are picturesque ruins. Examples
include Kirkstall Abbey (c. 1152); Roche Abbey (c. 1172), and Fountains Abbey (c. 1132) all
in Yorkshire.

Kirkstall Abbey, West Yorkshire (c. 1152)//Roche Abbey, South Yorkshire (c.
1172)

Wells Cathedral
Wells Cathedral, (built between 1185–1200 and modified until 1240) is another leading
example of the early English style. It borrowed some aspects, such as its elevation, from the
French style, but gave precedence to strong horizontals, such as the triforium, rather than the
dominant vertical elements, such as wall shafts, of the French style. The piers were composed
of as many as twenty-four shafts, adding another unusual decorative effect. The north porch,
built in 1210–15, and especially the west front (1220–1240) had a particularly novel
decorative effect. The screen facade of the west front is filled with nearly four hundred
carved and painted stone figure, and is made more impressive by two flanking towers,
attached to but not part of the body of the church. This arrangement was adapted by other
English cathedrals, including Salisbury Cathedral and Exeter Cathedral.[

26
 West front of Wells Cathedral (1220–1240)

Nave of Wells Cathedral, with its strong horizontal emphasis. The unusual double arch
was added in 1338 to reinforce the support of the tower//Detail of the sculpted capitals
of clustered columns in the nave
Salisbury Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral (1220–1260) is another example of the mature Early English Gothic.
Salisbury is best known for its famous crossing tower and spire, added in the 14th century,
but its complex plan, with two sets of transepts, a projecting north porch and a rectangular
east end, is a classic example of the early English Gothic. It was a distinct contrast from the
French Amiens Cathedral, begun the same year, with its simple apse on east and its minimal
transepts. The nave has strong horizontal lines created by the contrast of the dark Purbeck
marble columns. The Lady Chapel of Salisbury has extremely slender pillars of Purbeck
marble supporting the vaults, shows the diversity and harmony of mature English Early
Gothic, entering the period of Decorated Gothic.

The sprawling plan of Salisbury Cathedral (1220–1260), with its multiple transepts
and projecting porch//The nave of Salisbury Cathedral, with its strong horizontal
lines of dark Purbeck marble columns

27
 The Lady Chapel of Salisbury Cathedral/The choir of Salisbury Cathedral

Lincoln Cathedral
Lincoln Cathedral (rebuilt from the Norman style beginning in 1192), is the best example of
the fully mature early Gothic style. The master-builder, Geoffrey de Noiers, was French, but
he constructed a church with distinct non-French features; double transepts, an elongated
nave, complexity of interior space, and a more lavish use of decorative features. [36] St. Hugh's
Choir, named after the French-born monk St. Hugh of Lincoln, was a good example. The
choir was covered with a rib vault in which most of the ribs had a purely decorative role. In
addition to the functional ribs, it featured extra ribs called tiercerons, which did not lead to
the central point of the vault, but to a point along the ridge rib on the crown of the vault. They
were put together in lavish designs, which gave the resulting ceiling the nickname "The crazy
vault."

Another distinctive English element introduced at Lincoln was the use of s the blind
arcade (also known as a blank arcade) in the decoration of Hugh's chapel. Two layers of
arcades with pointed arches are attached to the walls, giving a theatrical effect of three
dimensions. This element is enhanced by the use of different color stone for the thin columns;
ribs of white limestone for the lower columns and black Purbeck marble for the upper
portions.

A third feature important feature of Lincoln was the thick or double-shell wall. This was an
Anglo-Romanesque feature, which earlier had been in used in Romanesque structures of
Caen, and in Durham and Winchester Cathedral. Instead of being supported only by flying
buttresses, the vaults receive additional support from the thicker walls of the gallery over the
aisles. This allowed a considerably wider span across the nave, and also meant that the vaults
could have additional purely decorative ribs, as in the "Crazy vault".

Lincoln Cathedral (rebuilt beginning in 1192)

28
 The wide nave of Lincoln Cathedral

The "Crazy Vaults" of the St. Hugh's choir of Lincoln Cathedral/Blind arcades
of St. Hugh's choir in Lincoln Cathedral

Characteristics-Plans
The plans of the early Gothic cathedrals in France were usually in the form of a Greek cross,
and were relatively simple. Sens Cathedral, the first in France, was a good example; A facade
with three portals and two towers; a long nave with collateral aisles; a rather long choir, a
very short transept, and a rounded apse with a double ambulatory and radiating chapels.
Variations on this plan were used in most early French cathedrals, including Noyon
Cathedral and Notre Dame de Paris.

Choir and ambulatory of Saint-Denis abbey church, 1140/Plan of Sens

Cathedral begun in 1135

29
 1. Noyon Cathedral, 1130–1150, plan without later additions
2. Notre Dame de Paris, begun in 1163, plan with additions since 1220.
3. Choir and ambulatory of Notre Dame de Paris before 1220, reconstruction
by Violet-le-Duc
The plans of the early English Gothic cathedrals were usually longer and much more
complex, with additional transepts, attached chapels, external towers, and usually a
rectangular west end. The choirs were often as long as the nave. The form expressed the
multiple activities often going on simultaneously in the same building.[40]

a. Plan of Wells Cathedral (begun 1175)

b. Plan of Lincoln Cathedral (begun 1192)
c. Salisbury Cathedral (begun 1220)

Elevations
At the time of the early Gothic, the flying buttress was not yet in common use, and buttresses
were placed directly close to or directly against the walls. The walls had to be reinforced by
additional width.[41] The early Gothic churches in France typically had four elevations or
levels in the nave: the aisle arcade on the ground floor; the gallery arcade, a passageway,
above it; the blind triforium, a narrower passageway, and the clerestory, a wall with larger
windows, just under the vaults. These multiple levels added to the width and thus the stability
of the walls, before the flying buttress was commonly used. This was the system used at Sens
Cathedral, Noyon Cathedral and originally at Notre Dame de Paris. The introduction of a
simpler four-part rib vault and especially the flying buttress meant that the walls could be
thinner and higher, with more room for windows. By the end of the period, the triforium level
was usually eliminated, and larger windows filled the space.

30
 

1. Noyon Cathedral, late 12h century, four levels: arcade, tribune, triforium,
clerestory
2. Choir of Notre Dame de Paris, consecration 1182, three levels (arcade, tribune
and clerestory); triforia removed by the remodeling of the clerestories after 1220
3. Three-part elevation of Wells Cathedral (begun 1176)

Vaults
The rib vault was a characteristic feature of Gothic architecture from the beginning. It was the
result of a search for a way to build stone roofs on churches that could not catch fire but
would not be too heavy. Variations of rib vaults had been used in Islamic and Romanesque
architecture, often to support domes. The rib vault had thin stone ribs which carried the
vaulted surface of thin panels. Unlike the earlier barrel vault, where the weight of the vault
pressed down directly onto the walls, the arched ribs of a rib vault had a pointed arch, a rib
which directed the weight outwards and downwards to specific points, usually piers and
columns in the nave below, or outward to the walls, where it was countered by buttresses.
The panels between the ribs were made of small pieces of stone, and were much lighter than
the earlier barrel vaults. A primitive form, a ribbed groin vault, with round arches, was used
at Durham Cathedral, and then, in the course of building, was improved with pointed arches
in about 1096. Other variations had been used at Lessay Abbey in Normandy and in Cefalù
Cathedral in Sicily at about the same time.

The first Gothic rib vaults were divided by the ribs into six compartments. A six-part vault
could cover two sections of the nave. Two pointed arches crossed diagonally and were
supported by an intermediate arch, which crossed the nave from side to side. The weight was
carried downward by thin columns from the corners of the vault to the alternating heavy piers
and thinner columns in the nave below. The weight was distributed unevenly; the piers
received the greater weight from diagonal arches, while the columns took the lesser weight
from the intermediate arch. This system was used successfully at the Basilica of Saint-Denis,
Noyon Cathedral, Laon Cathedral, and Notre-Dame de Paris.

A simpler and stronger vault with just four compartments was developed at the end of the
period by eliminating the intermediate arch. As a result, the piers or columns below all
received an equal load, and could have the same size and appearance, giving greater harmony
to the nave. This system was used increasingly at the end of the Early Gothic period.

31
More elaborate rib vaults were introduced in England later in the period, at Lincoln
Cathedral. These had additional purely decorative ribs called the lierne and the tierceron, in
ornate designs like stars and fans, They were the work of Geoffrey de Noiers, a French or
French-Normand master-builder who between 1192 and 1200 designed St. Hugh's choir,
completed in 1208. The ribs were designed so that the bays slightly offset each other, giving
them the nickname of "Crazy vaults".[43] De Noiers was succeeded at Lincoln by Alexander
the Mason, who designed the tierceron star vaulting in the cathedral's nave. [44] at Lincoln
Cathedral.

Six-part vaults in Sens Cathedral (begun 1135)

Six-part rib vaults in Notre-Dame de Paris (begun 1163)

Four-part vaults of Wells Cathedral (begun 1176)
"Crazy vaults" of Lincoln Cathedral in St. Hugh's choir (1192–1208)
Flying buttress
Variations of the flying buttress existed before the Gothic period, but Gothic architects
developed them to a high degree of sophistication. By counterbalancing the thrust against the
upper walls from the rib vaults, they made possible the great height, thin walls and large
upper windows of the Gothic cathedrals. The early Gothic buttresses were placed close to the
walls, and were columns of stone with a short arch to the upper level, between the windows.
They were often topped by stone pinnacles both for decoration, and to make them even
heavier.

32
Flying buttress at the Abbey of Saint-Étienne, Caen, Caen (11th century)/ Early
buttresses of Noyon Cathedral

Buttresses of Laon Cathedral//Flying buttresses of Salisbury Cathedral/ Central

tympanum of the royal portal, Chartres Cathedral (1145–1245)
Sculpture
The most important sculptural decoration of early Gothic cathedrals was found over and
around the portals, or doorways, on the tympanum and sometimes also on the columns.
Following the model of Romanesque churches, these depicted the Holy Family and Saints.
Following the tradition of Romanesque sculpture, the figures were usually stiff, straight,
simple forms, and often elongated. As the period advanced, the sculpture became more
naturalistic. The floral and vegetal sculpture of the capitals of columns in the nave was more
realistic, showing a close observation of nature.One of the finest examples of early Gothic
sculpture is the tympanum over the royal portal of Chartres Cathedral (1145–1245), which
survived a fire that destroyed much of the early Cathedral.

Detail of the royal portal of Chartres Cathedral (1145–1245)/Adam and Eve eating
apples, west front of Lincoln Cathedral (12th century)

33
 Sculpture of the portal of Basilica of Saint Denis//Early Gothic style: Prophet's head,
1137-1140, originally in the Basilica of St. Denis//image of Biblical Wise Men,
Moissac Abbey (12th. c.)
Sculpture was lavishly used in Early Gothic cathedrals, particularly over the portals. The
early Gothic sculpture was stiff and formal and lacked realism, unlike the sculpture the later
sculpture of Rayonnant cathedrals, which was influenced by the ancient Roman sculpture
which had recently been discovered.

).
Basilica of Saint-Denis

34
The Basilica of Saint-Denis (French: Basilique royale de Saint-Denis, now formally known
as the Basilique-cathédrale de Saint-Denis[1]) is a large former medieval abbey church and
present cathedral in the commune of Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris. The building is
of singular importance historically and architecturally as its choir, completed in 1144, is
widely considered the first structure to employ all of the elements of Gothic architecture. The
basilica became a place of pilgrimage and a necropolis containing the tombs of the kings of
France, including nearly every king from the 10th century to Louis XVIII in the 19th
century. Henry IV of France came to Saint-Denis formally to renounce his Protestant faith
and become a Catholic. The queens of France were crowned at Saint-Denis, and the regalia,
including the sword used for crowning the kings and the royal sceptre, were kept at Saint-
Denis between coronations. The site originated as a Gallo-Roman cemetery in late Roman
times. The archaeological remains still lie beneath the cathedral; the graves indicate a mixture
of Christian and pre-Christian burial practices. [5] Around the year 475 AD, St.
Genevieve purchased some land and built Saint-Denys de la Chapelle. In 636, on the orders
of Dagobert I, the relics of Saint Denis, a patron saint of France, were reinterred in the
basilica. The relics of St-Denis, which had been transferred to the parish church of the town
in 1795, were brought back again to the abbey in 1819.

In the 12th century, the Abbot Suger rebuilt portions of the abbey church using innovative
structural and decorative features. In doing so, he is said to have created the first
truly Gothic building. In the following century the master-builder Pierre de Montreuil rebuilt
the nave and the transepts in the new Rayonnant Gothic style. The abbey church became a
cathedral on the formation of the Diocese of Saint-Denis by Pope Paul VI in 1966 and is the
seat of the Bishop of Saint-Denis, currently (since 2009) Pascal Delannoy. Although known
as the "Basilica of St Denis", the cathedral has not been granted the title of Minor Basilica by
the Vatican. The 86-metre (282-foot) tall spire, dismantled in the 19th century, is to be
rebuilt. The project, initiated more than 30 years ago, was to have begun in May 2020, and is
expected to take about 11 years at a cost of about €28 million.

History-Early churches
The cathedral is on the site where Saint Denis, the first bishop of Paris, is believed to have
been buried. According to the "Life of Saint Genevieve", written in about 520, he was sent by
Pope Clement I to evangelise the Parisii. He was arrested and condemned by the Roman
authorities. Along with two of his followers, the priest Eleutherus and deacon Rusticus, he
was decapitated on the hill of Montmartre in about 250 AD. According to the legend, he is
said to have carried his head four leagues to the Roman settlement of Catulliacus, the site of
the current church, and indicated that it was where he wanted to be buried. A martyrium or
shrine-mausoleum was erected on the site of his grave in about 313 AD, and was enlarged
into a basilica with the addition of tombs and monuments under Saint Genevieve. These
including a royal tomb, that of Aregonde, the wife of King Clothar I.

35
Dagobert I visiting the construction site of the Abbey of St. Denis (painted 1473) //

36
Clovis II visiting Saint Denis (painted in 15th c.)

Dagobert I, King of the Franks (reigned 628 to 637), transformed the church into
the Abbey of Saint Denis, a Benedictine monastery in 632.It soon grew to a community of
more than five hundred monks, plus their servants. Dagobert also commissioned a new shrine
to house the saint's remains, which was created by his chief councillor, Eligius,
a goldsmith by training. An early vita of Saint Eligius describes the shrine:

Above all, Eligius fabricated a mausoleum for the holy martyr Denis in the city of Paris with
a wonderful marble ciborium over it marvelously decorated with gold and gems. He

37
composed a crest [at the top of a tomb] and a magnificent frontal and surrounded the throne
of the altar with golden axes in a circle. He placed golden apples there, round and jeweled.
He made a pulpit and a gate of silver and a roof for the throne of the altar on silver axes. He
made a covering in the place before the tomb and fabricated an outside altar at the feet of the
holy martyr. So much industry did he lavish there, at the king's request, and poured out so
much that scarcely a single ornament was left in Gaul, and it is the greatest wonder of all to
this very day.
The Carolingian church

Walls of the crypt built by the Abbot Hilduin (9th century)/Capital of a column in the
Carolingian crypt

Earliest sarcophogi in the crypt

During his second coronation at Saint-Denis, King Pepin the Short made a vow to rebuild the
old abbey.The first church mentioned in the chronicles was begun in 754 and completed
under Charlemagne, who was present at its consecration in 775. By 832 the Abey had been
granted a remunerative whaling concession on the Cotentin Peninsula.

38
According to one of the Abbey's many foundation myths a leper, who was sleeping in the
nearly completed church the night before its planned consecration, witnessed a blaze of light
from which Christ, accompanied by St Denis and a host of angels, emerged to conduct the
consecration ceremony himself. Before leaving, Christ healed the leper, tearing off his
diseased skin to reveal a perfect complexion underneath. A mis-shapen patch on a marble
column was said to be the leper's former skin, which stuck there when Christ discarded it.
Having been consecrated by Christ, the fabric of the building was itself regarded as sacred.

Most of what is now known about the Carolingian church at St Denis resulted from a lengthy
series of excavations begun under the American art historian Sumner McKnight Crosby in
1937. The structure altogether was about eighty meters long, with an imposing facade, a nave
divided into three sections by two rows of marble columns, a transept, and apse and at the
east end. During important religious celebrations, the interior of the church was lit with 1250
lamps. Beneath the apse, in imitation of St. Peter's in Rome, a crypt was constructed, with a
Confession, or martyr's chapel, in the center. Inside this was a platform on which the
sarcophagus of Denis was displayed, with those of his companions Rusticus and Eleutherus
on either side. Around the platform was a corridor where pilgrims could circulate, and bays
with windows. Traces of painted decoration of this original crypt can be seen in some of the
bays.

The crypt was not large enough for the growing number of pilgrims who came, so in about
832 the abbot Hilduin built a second crypt, to the west of the first, and a small new chapel
dedicated to the Virgin Mary was constructed next to the apse. The new crypt was
extensively rebuilt under Suger in the 12th century.

Suger and the Early Gothic Church (12th century)

Abbot Suger depicted in the Tree of Jesse window (19th c.)

39
Louis VI of France visiting St. Denis (14th century illustration)/ The Oriflamme (top
left), or battle flag of French kings, was kept at Saint Denis.

King Philip II of France receives the Oriflamme from the bishop before going to war
(13th c., 1841 painting)

40
Abbot Suger (c. 1081 – 1151), the patron of the rebuilding of the Abbey church, had begun
his career in the church at the age of ten, and rose to become the Abbot in 1122. He was a
school companion and then confidant and minister of Louis VI and then of his son Louis VII,
and was a regent of Louis VII when the King was absent on the Crusades. [18] He was an
accomplished fund-raiser, acquiring treasures for the cathedral and collecting an enormous
sum for its rebuilding. In about 1135 he began reconstructing and enlarging the abbey. In his
famous account of the work undertaken during his administration, Suger explained his
decision to rebuild the church, due to the decrepit state of the old structure and its inability to
cope with the crowds of pilgrims visiting the shrine of St Denis.

In the 12th century, thanks largely to Suger, the Basilica became a principal sanctuary of
French Royalty, rivalling Reims Cathedral, where the kings were crowned. The Abbey also
kept the regalia of the coronation, including the robes, crowns and sceptre. Beginning in
1124, and until the mid-15th century, the kings departed for war carrying the oriflamme, or
battle flag, of St. Denis, to give the King the protection of the Saint. It was taken to the
Abbey only when France was in danger. The flag was retired in 1488, when the Parisians
opened the gates of Paris to invading English and Burgundian armies.

First Phase: the west front (1135–1140)

Suger began his rebuilding project at the western end of St Denis, demolishing the old
Carolingian facade with its single, centrally located door. He extended the old nave
westwards by an additional four bays and added a massive western narthex, incorporating a
new façade and three chapels on the first- floor level.

In the new design, massive vertical buttresses separated the three doorways and horizontal
string-courses and window arcades clearly marked out the divisions. This clear delineation of
parts was to influence subsequent west façade designs as a common theme in the
development of Gothic architecture and a marked departure from the Romanesque. The
portals themselves were sealed by gilded bronze doors, ornamented with scenes from Christ's
Passion. They clearly recorded Suger's patronage with the following inscription:

On the lintel below the great tympanum showing the Last Judgement, beneath a carved figure
of the kneeling Abbot, was inscribed the more modest plea;

Receive, stern Judge, the prayers of your Suger, Let me be mercifully numbered among your
sheep.
Second Phase: the new choir, (1140–1144)
Suger's western extension was completed in 1140 and the three new chapels in the narthex
were consecrated on 9 June of that year, but the Romanesque nave between was yet
unchanged. He wrote about the new narthex at the west end and proposed chapels at the east:
"Once the new rear part is joined to the part in front, the church shines with its middle part
brightened. For bright is that which is brightly coupled with the bright, and bright is the noble
edifice which is pervaded by the new light."
Suger's great innovation in the new choir was the replacement of the heavy dividing walls in
the apse and ambulatory with slender columns, so that the interior of that part of the church
was filled with light. He described "A circular string of chapels, by virtue of which the whole
church would shine with the wonderful and uninterrupted light of most luminous windows,
pervading the interior beauty." One of these chapels was dedicated to Saint Osmanna, and
held her relics.[

41
Suger's masons drew on elements which evolved or had been introduced to Romanesque
architecture: the rib vault with pointed arches, and exterior buttresses which made it possible
to have larger windows and to eliminate interior walls. It was the first time that these features
had all been drawn together; and the new style evolved radically from the previous
Romanesque architecture by the lightness of the structure and the unusually large size of the
stained- glass windows.

The new architecture was full of symbolism. The twelve columns in the choir represented the
twelve Apostles, and the light represented the Holy Spirit. Like many French clerics in the
12th century AD, he was a follower of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, a 6th century
mystic who equated the slightest reflection or glint with divine light. Suger's own words were
carved in the nave: "For bright is that which is brightly coupled with the bright/and bright is
the noble edifice which is pervaded by the new light." Following Suger's example, large
stained - glass windows filling the interior with mystical light became a prominent feature of
Gothic architecture.

Two different architects, or master masons, were involved in the 12th century rebuilding.
Both remain anonymous but their work can be distinguished on stylistic grounds. The first,
who was responsible for the initial work at the western end, favoured conventional
Romanesque capitals and moulding profiles with rich and individualised detailing. His
successor, who completed the western facade and upper storeys of the narthex, before going
on to build the new choir, displayed a more restrained approach to decorative effects, relying
on a simple repertoire of motifs, which may have proved more suitable for the lighter Gothic
style that he helped to create.

The Portal of Valois was the last of the Gothic structures planned by Suger. It was designed
for the original building, but was not yet begun when Suger died in 1151. In the 13th century
it was moved to the end of the new transept on the north side of the church. The sculpture of
the portal includes six standing figures in the embracements and thirty figures in the
voussures, or arches, over the doorway, which probably represent the Kings of the Old
Testament. The scene in the Tympanum over the doorway depicts the martyrdom of Saint
Denis. In their realism and finesse, they were a landmark in Gothic sculpture.

The new structure was finished and dedicated on 11 June 1144, in the presence of the King.
The Abbey of St Denis thus became the prototype for further building in the royal domain of
northern France. Through the rule of the Angevin dynasty, the style was introduced to
England and spread throughout France, the Low Countries, Germany, Spain, northern Italy
and Sicily.

Reconstruction of the Nave – the Rayonnant style – beginning of the Royal Necropolis
(13th century)

42
Rayonnant rose window in the north transept/The glazed triforium (center level) and
upper clerestory, where windows fill almost the entire wall, a prominent feature
of Rayonnant Gothic. (present windows from 19th c.)
Suger died in 1151 with the Gothic reconstruction incomplete. In 1231, Abbot Odo Clement
began work on the rebuilding of the Carolingian nave, which remained sandwiched
incongruously between Suger's Gothic works to the east and west. Both the nave and the
upper parts of Suger's choir were replaced in the Rayonnant Gothic style. From the start it
appears that Abbot Odo, with the approval of the Regent Blanche of Castile and her son, the
young King Louis IX, planned for the new nave and its large crossing to have a much clearer
focus as the French 'royal necropolis', or burial place. That plan was fulfilled in 1264 under
Abbot Matthew of Vendôme when the bones of 16 former kings and queens were relocated
to new tombs arranged around the crossing, eight Carolingian monarchs to the south and
eight Capetians to the north.[31] These tombs, featuring lifelike carved
recumbent effigies or gisants lying on raised bases, were badly damaged during the French
revolution though all but two were subsequently restored by Viollet le Duc in 1860.
The dark Romanesque nave, with its thick walls and small window-openings, was rebuilt
using the very latest techniques, in what is now known as Rayonnant Gothic. This new style,
which differed from Suger's earlier works as much as they had differed from their
Romanesque precursors, reduced the wall area to an absolute minimum. Solid masonry was
replaced with vast window openings filled with brilliant stained glass (all destroyed in the
Revolution) and interrupted only by the most slender of bar tracery—not only in the
clerestory but also, perhaps for the first time, in the normally dark triforium level. The upper
facades of the two much-enlarged transepts were filled with two spectacular 12m-wide rose
windows.[32] As with Suger's earlier rebuilding work, the identity of the architect or master
mason remains unknown. Although often attributed to Pierre de Montreuil, the only evidence
for his involvement is an unrelated document of 1247 which refers to him as 'a mason from
Saint-Denis'.

15th–17th century

43
The cathedral in 1655 by Claude Chastillon

44
 Henry IV of France renounces Protestantism in 1593 at Saint-Denis by Nicolas
Baullery
During the following centuries, the cathedral was pillaged twice; once during the Hundred
Years War (1337–1453) and again during the Wars of Religion (1562–1598). Damage was
largely limited to broken tombs and precious objects stolen from the altars and treasury.
Many modifications were made under Marie de' Medici and later royal families. These
included the construction of chapel adjoining the north transept to serve as a tomb for the
monarchs of the Valois Dynasty (later demolished). A plan of c. 1700 by Félibien shows
the Valois Chapel, a large mortuary chapel in the form of a domed colonnaded "rotunda",
adjoining the north transept of the basilica and containing the tomb of the Valois. and the
display of the skeleton of a baleine whale in the nave in 1771. Greater harm was done with
the removal of the early Gothic column-statues which Suger had used to decorate the west
front. (They were replaced with replicas in the 19th century). [35] In 1700, reconstruction
began of the monastic buildings adjacent to the church. This was not completed until the mid-
18th century. Into these buildings Napoleon installed a school for the daughters of members
of the French Legion of Honour, which still is in operation

The French Revolution and Napoleon

The looting of the church in 1793, by Friedrich Staffnick

45
 The violation of the royal tombs in 1793 depicted by Hubert Robert
Due to its connections to the French monarchy and proximity to Paris, the abbey of Saint-
Denis was a prime target of revolutionary vandalism. On Friday, 14 September 1792, the
monks celebrated their last services in the abbey church; the monastery was dissolved the
next day. The church was used to store grain and flour. In 1793, the National Convention,
the revolutionary government, ordered the violation of the sepulchres and the destruction of
the royal tombs, but agreed to create a commission to select those monuments which were of
historical interest for preservation. In 1798, these were transferred to the chapel of the Petit-
Augustins, which later became the Museum of French Monuments.

Most of the medieval monastic buildings were demolished in 1792. Although the church
itself was left standing, it was profaned, its treasury confiscated and its reliquaries and
liturgical furniture melted down for their metallic value. Some objects, including a chalice
and aquamanile donated to the abbey in Suger's time, were successfully hidden and survive to
this day. The jamb figures of the façade representing Old Testament royalty, mistakenly
identified as images of royal French kings and queens, were removed from the portals and the
tympana sculpture defaced. In 1794, the government decided to remove the lead tiles from
the roof, to melt them down to make bullets. This left the interior of the church badly exposed
to the weather.[

19th century – reconstruction and renovation

46
 

The left tower, completed, damaged and removed in the 1840s/The two-tower plan
of Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, never built
The church was reconsecrated by Napoléon in 1806, and he designated it as the future site for
his own tomb and those of his intended dynasty. He also ordered the construction of three
chapels to honour the last French kings, created a chapel under the authority of his uncle,
Cardinal Fesch, which was decorated with richly-carved choir stalls and marquetry from
the Château de Gaillon.(See "Choir Stalls" section below).

After Napoleon's downfall, the ashes of the previous king, Louis XVI, were ceremoniously
moved from the cemetery of the Madeleine to Saint-Denis. The last king to be entombed in
Saint-Denis was Louis XVIII in 1824.

In 1813 François Debret was named the chief architect of the cathedral; he proceeded, over
thirty years, to repair the Revolutionary damage. He was later best known for his design of
the Salle Le Peletier, the primary opera house of Paris before the Opéra Garnier in 1873. He
replaced the upper stained- glass windows in the nave with depictions of the historic kings of
France, and added new windows to the transept depicting the renovation, and the July 1837
visit to the Cathedral of King Louis Philippe. On 9 June, the spire of the tower was struck by
lightning and destroyed. Debret rapidly put into place a new spire, but he did not fully
understand the principles of Gothic architecture. He made errors in his plans for the new
structure, which resulted in the spire and tower collapsing under their own weight in 1845.

Debret resigned and was replaced by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, who had the support of Prosper
Mérimée, the French author who led campaign for the restoration of ruined Gothic
architecture in France. Viollet-le-Duc continued working on the Abbey until his death in
1879, and replaced many of the creations conceived by Debret. Viollet-le-Duc focused on the
tombs, rearranging and transforming portions of the interior into a vast museum of French

47
sculpture. In the 1860s Emperor Napoleon III asked Viollet-le-Duc to construct an imperial
section in the crypt for him and his dynasty, but he was deposed and went into exile before it
was begun.

20th and 21st centuries

The west front//West portals before cleaning (2011)

In 1895, when the chapter created by Napoleon was dissolved, the church lost its cathedral
rank and reverted to being a parish church. It did not become a cathedral again until 1966,
with the creation of the new diocese of Saint-Denis. The formal title is now the "Baslilique-
cathédrale de Saint-Denis". In December 2016, 170 years after the north tower's
dismantlement and following several false starts, the Ministry of Culture again proposed its
reconstruction after concluding it was technically feasible—albeit without public funding. [
An association, Suivez la flèche ("Follow the Spire"), chaired by Patrick Braouezec, has since
been established to support the reconstruction, with the aim of raising the necessary funds by
opening the reconstruction works to the general public, along the model of the Guédelon
Castle. In March 2018, the culture ministry signed an accord with the association, officially
launching the reconstruction project, with works expected to commence in May 2020. A year
later, French scholars were still divided on the €25 million proposal to reconstruct the spire.
In 2023, hundreds of anonymous graves dating from the 5th to the 14th century were
discovered in the Basilica. ] In the same year, the Basilica's stained glass windows which have
been the central focus of a project spanning 25 years, entered the final stage of restoration
with a total cost exceeding 2 million euros.[

Exterior-The west front

48
 Tympanum and lintel of the central portal "Last Judgement (c. 1135, restored
1839)

The west front after its cleaning

The west front of the church, dedicated on 9 June 1140, is divided into three sections, each
with its own entrance, representing the Holy Trinity. A crenelated parapet runs across the
west front and connects the towers (still unfinished in 1140), illustrating that the church front
was the symbolic entrance to the celestial Jerusalem. This new façade, 34 metres (112 ft)
wide and 20 metres (66 ft) deep, has three portals, the central one larger than those either

49
side, reflecting the relative width of the central nave and lateral aisles. This tripartite
arrangement was clearly influenced by the late 11th century Norman-Romanesque façades of
the abbey churches of St Etienne It also shared with them a three-storey elevation
and flanking towers. Only the south tower survives; the north tower was dismantled
following a tornado which struck in 1846.

The west front was originally decorated with a series of column-statues, representing the
kings and queens of the Old Testament. These were removed in 1771 and were mostly
destroyed during the French Revolution, though a number of the heads can be seen in
the Musée de Cluny in Paris. The bronze doors of the central portal are modern, but are a
faithful reproduction of the original doors, which depicted the Passion of Christ and
the Resurrection.

One other original feature was added by Suger's builders; a rose window over the central
portal. Although small circular windows (oculi) within triangular tympana were common on
the west facades of Italian Romanesque churches, this was probably the first example of a
rose window within a square frame, which was to become a dominant feature of the Gothic
facades of northern France (soon to be imitated at Chartres Cathedral and many others).

Chevet and transepts

The apse, or east end of the cathedral, in 1878/North transept (left) and north nave
walls and buttresses (19th c.)

50
 The Rayonnant south transept/South side of the nave, with buttresses and
chapels
The chevet, at the east end of the cathedral, was one of the first parts of the structure rebuilt
into the Gothic style. The work was commissioned by Abbot Suger in 1140 and completed in
1144. It was considerably modified under the young King Louis IX and his mother, Blanche
of Castille, the Regent of the Kingdom, beginning in 1231. The apse was built much higher,
along with the nave. Large flying buttresses were added to the chevet, to support the upper
walls, and to make possible the enormous windows installed there. The masons used the same
engineering concept that was used at the Abbey of Saint-Martin-des-Champs to support the
large chapel windows. At the same time, the transept was enlarged and given large rose
windows in the new rayonnant style, divided into multiple lancet windows topped by trilobe
windows and other geometric forms inscribed in circles. The walls of the nave on both sides
were entirely filled with windows, each composed of four lancets topped by a rose, filling the
entire space above the triforium. The upper walls, like the chevet, were supported by flying
buttresses whose bases were placed between the chapels alongside the nave.

North and south portals

51
 Sculpture of the Porte de Valois, or north portal//The south portal and sculpture

Detail of the south portal sculpture

The Porte de Valois, or north portal, was originally built in the 12th century, near the end of
Suger's life, then rebuilt at the end of the north transept in the 13th century. According to
Suger, the original entrance on the north did not have sculpture, but mosaic, which Suger
replaced by sculpture in 1540. It is considered an important step in the history of Gothic
sculpture, because of the skill of the carving, and the lack of rigidity of the figures. There are
six figures in the embrasures and thirty figures in the voussures, or arches above the door,
which represent kings, probably those of the Old Testament, while the tympanum over the
door illustrates the martyrdom of Saint-Denis and his companions Eleuthere and Rusticus.
This portal was among the last works commissioned by Suger; he died in 1151, before it was
completed. [26] The original sculpture that was destroyed in the Revolution was replaced with
sculpture from the early 19th century, made by Felix Brun.The tympanum of the south portal
illustrates the last days of the Denis and his companions before their martyrdom. The
piedroits are filled with medallions representing the labours of the days of month.

Interior
[edit]
The nave and choir
[edit]

52
 Rayonnant Gothic choir of St Denis./The nave and choir

The elevation of the nave, with glass-filled triforium and upper windows/The vaults in
the transept
The nave, the portion to the west of the church reserved for ordinary worshippers, and the
choir, the portion to the east reserved for the clergy, were rebuilt into the Gothic style in the
13th century, after the apse at the east and the west front. Like the other Gothic churches in
the Ile-de-France, its walls had three levels; large arcades of massive pillars on the ground
floor; a narrow triforium or passageway midway up the wall; originally windowless; and a
row of high windows the clerestory, above. Slender columns rose from the pillars up the
walls to support the four-part rib vaults. As a result of the Rayonnant reconstruction in the
triforium was given windows, and the upper walls were entirely filled with glass, which
reached upward into the arches of the vaults, flooding the church with light. [

The disambulatory and chapels

53
 The ambulatory (1140–1144)/disambulatory

Disambulatory and chapels/The axial chapel of the Virgin (12th c.)

The chevet had been constructed by Suger in record time, in just four years, between 1140
and 1144, and was one of the first great realisations of Gothic architecture. The double
disambulatory is divided not by walls but by two rows of columns, while the outside walls,
thanks to buttresses on the exterior, are filled with windows. The new system allowed light to
pass into the interior of the choir. The disambulatory connects with the five radiating chapels
at the east end of the cathedral, which have their own large windows. To give them greater
unity, the five chapels share the same system of vaulted roofs. To make the walls between the
chapels even less visible, they are masked with networks of slender columns and tracery.

The apse with its two ambulatories and axial chapels was extensively rebuilt in the 12th
century, to connect harmoniously with the new and larger nave, but a major effort was made
to save the early Gothic features created by Suger, including the double disambulatory with
its large windows. To accomplish this, four large pillars were installed in the crypt to support
the upper level, and the walls of the first traverse of the sanctuary were placed at an angle to
connect with the wider transept.

The basilica retains stained glass of many periods (although most of the panels from Suger's
time have been removed for long-term conservation and replaced with photographic
transparencies), including exceptional modern glass, and a set of 12 misericords.

Crypt and royal tombs

54
The archeological crypt (8th century) rebuilt by Suger (12th c.), now contains the
simple black marble tombs of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette/ Carolingian decoration
from the early crypt

Tomb of Louis XII and Anne de Bretagne (1515).// Tomb of Dagobert I, first King
buried at St. Denis remade in the 13th century
The role of St. Denis as the necropolis of French kings formally began under Hugh
Capet (987–996), but the tombs of several earlier kings were already located there. The site
was chosen because of its association with St. Denis, the first Bishop of Paris and one of the
earliest Christian leaders in France, who was buried there [54] All but three of the monarchs of
France from the 10th century until 1793 have their remains here. The remains of some
monarchs, including Clovis I (465–511), were moved to St. Denis from other churches.

The crypt beneath the church is divided into two sections; the older, called archeological
crypt, is located under the transept, and was originally built in about 775 AD, when the abbey
was reconstructed by Abbot Fuldiad. It had a disambulatory, passage which allowed pilgrims

55
to circulate around the relics of Saint Denis and his companions on display in the center. It
was lit by alternating small windows in the walls and lamps placed in niches.

The crypt was rebuilt and extended eastward by Suger. The walls were decorated with blind
arches, divided by columns whose capitals illustrate Biblical scenes and scenes from the life
of St. Denis. Thirty-nine of the original Romanesque sixty-two capitals are still in place.
Sugar constructed a new disambulatory connected with radiating chapels.

During the reign of Henry IV, the central portion of this crypt was devoted the Bourbon
dynasty, but the tombs themselves were simple lead coffins in wood cases. The effigies of
many of the kings and queens are on their tombs, but during the French Revolution their
bodies were thrown out of their coffins, dumped into three trenches and covered with lime to
destroy them. The older monarchs were removed in August 1793 to celebrate the
revolutionary Festival of Reunion, the Valois and Bourbon monarchs in October 1793 to
celebrate the execution of Marie Antoinette. Preservationist Alexandre Lenoir saved many of
the monuments by claiming them as artworks for his Museum of French Monuments.
The bodies of several Plantagenet monarchs of England were likewise removed
from Fontevraud Abbey during the French Revolution. Napoleon Bonaparte reopened the
church in 1806, but left the royal remains in their mass graves. In 1817 the restored
Bourbons ordered the mass graves to be opened, but only portions of three bodies remained
intact. The remaining bones from 158 bodies were collected into an ossuary in the crypt of
the church, behind marble plates bearing their names.

In later years, tombs were placed along the aisles that surrounded around the choir and the
nave. In the 13th century King Louis IX (Saint Louis) commissioned a number of important
tombs of earlier kings and French historical figures, whose remains were collected from other
churches. These included the tombs of Clovis I, Charles Martel, Constance of Castile, Pepin
the Short, Robert the Pious and Hugh Capet (which disappeared during the Revolution). The
new tombs were all made in the same style and costume, with a reposing figure holding a
staff, to illustrate the continuity of the French Monarchy.

56
 Tomb of Catherine de Medici and Henry II of France (1559)

Funeral urn of Francois I by sculptor Pierre Bontemps (1556)//

The tombs of the Renaissance expressed are theatrical and varied. The largest is that of Louis
XII (died 1515) and his wife, Anne of Brittany (died 1514). It takes the form of a white
marble temple filled and surrounded with figures. Inside it, the King and Queen are depicted
realistically in their dying agonies, Allegorical figures seated around the temple depict the
virtues of the King and Queen. On the roof of the tomb, the King and Queen are shown again,
kneeling and calmly praying, celebrating their victory over death, thanks to their virtues. [

The monument to Henry II of France and Catherine de Medici (1559) followed a similar
format; a Roman temple, in this case designed by the celebrated Renaissance
architect Primatrice with sculpture on the roof depicting the King and Queen in prayer. The
King places his hand on his heart illustrating his Catholic faith a period of religious conflicts.
[57]

In the 19th century, following the restoration of the monarchy, Louis XVIII had the remains
of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette brought to St. Denis. The body of the Dauphin, who died
of illness and neglect at the hands of his revolutionary captors, was buried in an unmarked
grave in a Parisian churchyard near the Temple. During Napoleon's exile in Elba, the restored
Bourbons ordered a search for the corpses of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. They were
found on 21 January 1815, brought to Saint-Denis and placed in the archeologi crypt. Their
tombs are covered with black marble slabs installed in 1975.

Louis XVIII, upon his death in 1824, was buried in the centre of the crypt, near the graves of
Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. The coffins of royal family members who died between
1815 and 1830 were also placed in the vaults. Under the direction of architect Viollet-le-Duc,
church monuments that had been taken to the Museum of French Monuments were returned
to the church. The corpse of Louis VII, who had been buried at Barbeau Abbey and whose
tomb had not been touched by the revolutionaries, was brought to Saint-Denis and buried in
the crypt. In 2004, the mummified heart of the Dauphin, the boy who would have been Louis
XVII, verified to be authentic by DNA testing, was placed in a crystal vase and sealed into
the wall of the crypt

Sacristy

57
The Sacristy, the room where the clergy traditionally donned their vestments, was
transformed by the architect Jacques Cellerier in 1812 into a Neo-classical gallery of murals
which depict scenes from the history of the cathedral. A work added to the Sacristy is
"Allegory of the Divine Word", a painting by Simon Vouet, which originally had been
commissioned by Louis XIII for the retable of the Chateau of Saint-Germain-en-Laye. It was
acquired for the cathedral by the administration of national monuments in 1993. The wall
cases also display a selection of precious objects from the cathedral's collection.

Art and decoration-Stained glass

"Infance of Christ", (12th c., Axis chapel)

Detail from the 12th century Life of Christ window, Axis chapel

58
 

Detail of "Infance of Christ", Suger at the Feet of Christ (12th c.)

Abbot Suger commissioned a large amount of stained glass for the new chevet, but only very
small amount of the original glass from the time of Suger survived intact. In the 19th century
it was collected by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, and was integrated into windows in the chevet.
Original glass includes the figure of Suger prostrating himself at the feet of Christ, in the
window called "The Childhood of Christ"; the Tree of Jesse, illustrating the genealogy of
Christ, in the Axis chapel; the "Allegories of Saint Paul" and "The Life of Moses" in the
fourth radiating chapel on the north; "The vision of Ezekiel under the sign of tau", originally
from a group illustrating the Passion of Christ, in the fourth rayonnant chapel on the south, in
the left bay and third register. [60] Another piece of original window from Suger's time,
depicting mythical Griffonsa a symbol of Paradise, is found in the second radiating chapel on
the north. Other scenes which Suger described, showing the pilgrimage of Charlemagne and
the Crusades, have disappeared.

"Kings and Queens of France" (19th c.)

59
 

"The visit of King Louis-Philippe to Saint-Denis in 1837"

Much of the current stained glass dates to the 19th century, as the church began to be restored
from the damage of the Revolution. The architect François Debret designed the first Neo-
Gothic windows of the nave in 1813. these include the upper windows of the nave, which
represent the kings and queens of France. Later upper windows of the south transept depict
the restoration of the church, and particularly the visit there of Louis Philippe I, the last king
of France, in 1837. This large group of windows was designed by the painter Jean-Baptiste
Debret, the brother of the architect

Sculpture

Ementrude of Orleans, wife of Charles II of France/Piedroits, or column statues,

of the north portal. (12th c.)/Detail of the north portal sculpture; the martyrdom
of Saint Denis, Eleuthere and Rustique (12th c.)

60
 Tomb of Clovis I and his son, Childebert I

Tomb of King Dagobert (13th century)

Memorial to King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette, sculptures (1830) by Edme
Gaulle and Pierre Petitot

61
 Bust of Charles V of France//Battle scene on the tomb of François I (16th c.)
The new west front sculpture of St. Denis had an important influence on Gothic style. The
influential features of the new façade include the tall, thin statues of Old Testament prophets
and kings attached to columns (jamb figures) flanking the portals (destroyed in 1771 but
recorded in Montfaucon's drawings). These were also adopted at the cathedrals of Paris and
Chartres, constructed a few years later, and became a feature of almost every Gothic portal
thereafter. The statues on the portal of the Valois, on the transept of the Saint Denis, made in
1175, have very elongated and expressive figures, and also had an important effect on Gothic
sculpture. They were the opposite of the more restrained and dignified figures of Chartres
Cathedral, made about the same time. Above the doorways, the central tympanum was carved
with Christ in Majesty displaying his wounds with the dead emerging from their tombs
below. Scenes from the martyrdom of St Denis were carved above the south (right hand)
portal, while above the north portal was a mosaic (lost), even though this was, as Suger put it
'contrary to the modern custom'. Of the original sculpture, very little remains, most of what is
now visible being the result of rather clumsy restoration work in 1839. Some fragments of the
original sculptures survive in the collection of the Musée de Cluny.

Choir stalls

62
 The choir stalls (16th c.)

Detail of carving and marquetry of the choir stalls’’//Misericord on a choir stall

The choir stalls, the seats reserved for the clergy, have particularly fine carvings, particularly
on the misericord, the small seat on each stall on which the clergy could rest when standing
for long periods of time. The stalls were made in the 16th century, and were originally
located in the high chapel of the Chateau de Gaillon in the Eure Department. In 1805
Napoleon Bonaparte decided to create three new chapels at Saint-Denis, as well as a chapter
of bishops under the authority of his uncle, Cardinal Fesch. The stalls were moved to Saint-
Denis and installed for their use. Besides the carved wood, the stalls are decorated with
elaborate multi-coloured religious scenes in marquetry. [37]

Organ

63
 Charles I of Naples (or Anjou)

Tomb of Charles Martel

64
Henry I in background, Robert II, John I d. 1316 and Jeanne d. 1349

65
At top are Effigies on the tomb of Henry II and Catherine de' Medici, carved by Germain
PilonDrawing of tomb of Henry II and his wife, showing the Effigies at top and the double
tomb below

Tom

bs of Henry II of France and his wife Catherine de'

MediciTomb of Leon V of ArmeniaTomb of Philip IV

(From left clockwise) Gisants Bertrand du Guesclin, Charles VI, Isabeau of Bavaria, Louis de
Sancerre, Charles V, Jeanne de Bourbon
Kings

All but five of the kings of France were buried in the basilica (with Charlemagne, Philip
I, Louis XI, Charles X, & Louis Philippe I buried elsewhere), as well as a few other
monarchs. The remains of the early monarchs were removed from the destroyed Abbey of St
Genevieve. Some of the more prominent monarchs buried in the basilica are:

 Clovis I (466–511)
 Childebert I (496–558)
 Aregund (515/520–580)

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  Fredegund (third wife of Chilperic I), (died 597)
 Dagobert I (603–639)
 Clovis II (634–657)
 Charles Martel (686–741)
 Pepin the Short (714–768) and his wife, Bertrada of Laon (born 710–727, died
783)
 Charles the Bald (823–877) (his brass monument was melted down during the
Revolution) and his first wife, Ermentrude of Orléans (823–869)
 Carloman II (866–884)
 Robert II of France (972–1031) and his third wife, Constance of Arles (986–1032)
 Henry I of France (1008–1060)
 Louis VI of France (1081–1137)
 Louis VII of France (1120–1180) and his second wife, Constance of
Castile (1140–1160)
 Philip II of France (1165–1223)
 St. Louis IX of France (1214–1270)
 Charles I of Naples (1227–1285), an effigy covers his heart burial
 Philip III of France (1245–1285) and his first wife, Isabella of Aragon, Queen of
France (1248–1271)
 Philip IV of France (1268–1314)
 Leo V, King of Armenia (1342–1393) (cenotaph)
 Charles VII, King of France (1403–1461)
 Charles VIII, King of France (1470–1498)
 Louis XII of France (1462–1515)
 Francis I of France (1494–1547)
 Henry II (1519–1559) and Catherine de' Medici (1519–1589)
 Francis II (1544–1560)
 Charles IX (1550–1574) (no monument)
 Henry III (1551–1589), also King of Poland (heart burial monument)
 Henry IV (1553–1610)
 Louis XIII (1601–1643)
 Louis XIV (1638–1715)
 Louis XV (1710–1774)
 Louis XVI (1754–1793) and Marie Antoinette (1755–1793)
 Louis XVII (1785–1795) (only his heart; his body was dumped into a mass grave)
 Louis XVIII (1755–1824)
Other royalty and nobility

 Blanche of France (daughter of Philip IV)

 Nicolas Henri, Duke of Orléans (1607–1611), son of Henry IV
 Gaston, Duke of Orléans (1608–1660), son of Henry IV
 Marie de Bourbon, Duchess of Montpensier (1605–1627), wife of
Gaston
 Marguerite of Lorraine (1615–1672), Duchess of Orléans and second
wife of Gaston
 Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans (1627–1693), la Grande Mademoiselle
 Jean Gaston d'Orléans (1650–1652), Duke of Valois

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  Marie Anne d'Orléans (1652–1656), Mademoiselle de Chartres
 Henrietta Maria of France (1609–1669), wife of Charles I of Scotland and
England
 Philippe I, Duke of Orléans (1640–1701), brother of Louis XIV
 Princess Henrietta of England (1644–1670), first wife of Philippe
 Elisabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate (1652–1722), second wife of
Philippe
 Maria Theresa of Spain (1638–1683), consort of Louis XIV
 Louis of France (1661–1711), le Grand Dauphin
 Maria Anna Victoria of Bavaria (1660–1690), Dauphine of France,
wife of Louis
 Princess Anne Élisabeth of France (1662), daughter of Louis XIV
 Princess Marie Anne of France (1664), daughter of Louis XIV
 Marie Thérèse of France (1667–1672), daughter of Louis XIV
 Philippe Charles, Duke of Anjou (1668–1671), Duke of Anjou, son of
Louis XIV
 Louis François of France (1672), Duke of Anjou, son of Louis XIV
 Philippe II, Duke of Orléans (1674–1723), Regent of France
 Louis of France (1682–1712), Duke of Burgundy
 Marie Adélaïde of Savoy (1685–1712), Duchess of Burgundy
 Louis of France (1704–1705), Duke of Brittany
 Louis of France (1707–1712), Duke of Brittany
 Charles of France (1686–1714), Duke of Berry
 Marie Louise Élisabeth d'Orléans (1695–1719), Duchess of Berry
 Na (not baptized) d'Alençon (1711)
 Charles d'Alençon(1713) Duke of Alençon
 Marie Louise Élisabeth d'Alençon (1714)
 Marie Leszczyńska (1703–1768), consort of Louis XV
 Louise Élisabeth of France (1727–1759), Duchess of Parma
 Henriette of France (1727–1752), daughter of Louis XV and twin of
the above
 Louise of France (1728–1733), daughter of Louis XV
 Louis of France (1729–1765), Dauphin of France (only his heart; his
body was buried in the Cathedral of Saint-Étienne)
 Infanta Maria Teresa Rafaela of Spain (1726–1746), first
wife of above
 Philippe of France (1730–1733), Duke of Anjou
 Princess Marie Adélaïde of France (1732–1800), daughter of Louis
XV
 Princess Victoire of France (1733–1799), daughter of Louis XV
 Princess Sophie of France (1734–1782), daughter of Louis XV
 Princess Louise of France (1737–1787), daughter of Louis XV,
 Louis Joseph, Dauphin of France (1781–1789), first son of Louis
XVI and Marie Antoinette
 Princess Sophie Hélène Béatrice of France (1786–1787), second
daughter of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

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  Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne (1611–1675), Maréchal
General de France.
Timeline

 c. 250 AD – Martyrdom of Saint Denis

 After 313 – Construction of first basilica
 451–459 – Basilica enlarged by Saint Genevieve
 626–639 – Further enlargement by Dagobert, first King to have sepulchre in the
church
 775 – New church dedicated in presence of Charlemagne
 1122–1151 – Suger is Abbot of Saint-Denis
 1140–1144 – Reconstruction of the chevet with Gothic features
 1231 – Reconstruction of the upper chevet and the nave
 1267 – Louis IX inaugurates the royal necropolis
 c. 1320–1324 – Construction of six chapels along the north side of nave
 1364 – Charles V of France commissions his tomb in the church
 1572 – Beginning of the construction of the mausoleum of the Valois dynasty
 1771 – Removal of the statue-columns installed by Suger on the west front
 1792 – Final office celebrated by the monks, following the French Revolution
 1805 – Beginning of restoration ordered by Napoleon
 1813 – New restoration begun by architect François Debret
 1845 – Collapse of Debret's rebuilt north spire. Eugène Viollet-le-Duc becomes
chief architect of restoration.
 1862 – The basilica is classified a French historical monument
 1966 – The basilica becomes the cathedral of the new department of Seine-Saint-
Denis.
 2004 – The heart of Louis XVII is transferred to the chapel of the Bourbons.[66]

Depiction of the Trinity over the main entrance//Fulrad, Abbot of Saint-Denis

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