who designed the abbey of saint-denis's renovation and thus began the gothic style? course hero

by Kimberly Heidenreich 8 min read

What is the first Gothic structure?

Nov 09, 2016 · Who designed the Abbey of Saint-Denis's renovation and thus began the Gothic style? Abbot Suger A large number of French cathedrals were called Notre Dame ("Our Lady"), because they were dedicated to the Virgin Mary, who was regarded as the "Queen of Heaven." What survived Chartres Cathedral's devastating fire of 1194?

Why is the Basilica of Saint Denis considered a Gothic building?

Mar 21, 2013 · Question 23 Who designed the Abbey of Saint-Denis's renovation and thus began the Gothic style? 2 out of 2 points Selected Answer: Abbot Suger Correct Answer: Abbot Suger

Who was the architect of the rebuilding of Saint Denis?

The origin of Gothic architecture, a style which defined Europe in the later Middle Ages, can be traced to a single abbey church in the northern suburbs of Paris. The Basilique royale de Saint ...

Why is the abbey of Saint Denis important?

PLAY. Why was "Gothic" as applied to France's new architecture originally a derogatory term? Who designed the Abbey of Saint-Denis's renovation and thus began the Gothic style? Nice work! You just studied 15 terms! Now up your study game with Learn mode.

Who was responsible for the Gothic transformation at the cathedral of St Denis?

Abbot SugerThe Abbey Church of Saint Denis is known as the first Gothic structure and was developed in the 12th century by Abbot Suger.

Who invented Gothic architecture?

Gothic architect Hugues Libergier first began developing the style in the Abbey church of Saint Nicaise in Reims, France around 1231.Aug 9, 2018

Who was important to the rebuilding of the abbey church of Saint Denis where some of the earliest examples of Gothic architecture can be found?

SugerIn 1122, a new Abbot was appointed to Saint-Denis, Suger. He prioritized the crumbling church building, the basilica, to renovate and in 1137 went to work to restore and glorify God and the king.Feb 2, 2021

What man is credited with starting the French Gothic period with his constructions at the abbey church of Saint Denis?

Abbot Suger, friend and confidant of the French Kings Louis VI and Louis VII, decided in about 1137 to rebuild the great Church of Saint-Denis, the burial church of the French monarchs. Suger began with the West front, reconstructing the original Carolingian façade with its single door.

Who introduced the term Gothic?

Renaissance artists and writers in the 16th century coined the term Gothic, and the early art historian Giorgio Vasari infamously reinforced the unfavorable connotations when he referred to Gothic art as “monstrous and barbaric” since it did not conform to classical ideals.Aug 9, 2018

What is the origin of Gothic architecture?

Gothic architecture began in the earlier 12th century in northwest France and England and spread throughout Latin Europe in the 13th century; by 1300, a first "international style" of Gothic had developed, with common design features and formal language.

What is the significance of Chartres cathedral?

Notre-Dame de Chartres Cathedral, located in the Centre-Val-de-Loire region, is one of the most authentic and complete works of religious architecture of the early 13th century. It was the destination of a pilgrimage dedicated to the Virgin Mary, among the most popular in all medieval Western Christianity.

What was Suger's purpose in reconstructing the Abbey Church of Saint-Denis?

What was Suger's purpose in reconstructing the Abbey Church of Saint-Denis? He wanted to create a work of art worthy of the church's holy treasures.

Why was the Basilica of St Denis built?

The basilica became a place of pilgrimage and a necropolis containing the tombs of the French Kings, including nearly every king from the 10th century to Louis XVIII in the 19th century.

What is said to be the earliest Gothic structure in France who was the director of its construction?

1130: Sens Cathedral, the first French Gothic cathedral, begun. (consecrated 1171). 1135: Basilica of Saint-Denis reconstruction in new style begun by Abbot Suger, The Gothic ambulatory was finished in 1144. 1163: Notre Dame de Paris begun.

Which of the following figures is credited with designing the first European Gothic church?

Which of the following figures is credited with designing the first European Gothic church? Abbot Suger. Abbot Suger designed the Abbey Church of Saint-Denis, which was built in the 1130s.

When was Saint-Denis founded?

7th centuryKing Dagobert I founded the abbey in the 7th century and built it over the tomb of St. Denis, patron saint of France. The town gradually grew up around the abbey.

What is Gothic architecture?

Gothic architecture utilizes tall pointed arches, rib vaults, and flying buttresses to create towering structures of openness and light. For many historians, this was the first truly monumental and unified style of European architecture since the fall of Rome, and it all began at the Basilica of Saint Denis.

What was the significance of the Basilica of Saint Denis?

By using flying buttresses, pointed arches, rib vaults, and radiating chapels, the Basilica of Saint Denis was more spacious, open, and naturally illuminated than anything that came before. This site that housed the remains of saints and kings alike introduced one of the most important architectural movements in Europe.

What did Abbot Suger do to maintain the openness of the interior of the church?

Abbot Suger further maintained the openness of the interior by building chapels off the sides of the church, now called radiating chapels. Abbot Suger didn't stop with increasing the interior space, however. He was a firm believer in the idea that any light was a direct reflection of divine presence.

Why didn't Suger tear down St. Denis?

He couldn't tear down the old structure because there was a belief at the time that it had been consecrated by Christ himself. So, Suger's job was to oversee its expansion and improvement. He took to that task with enthusiasm.

Why was Suger's renovation important?

The remodeled western façade was pretty consistent with the dominant Romanesque style of medieval Europe because Suger had no need to change it. The choir and interior, however, had to be updated to accommodate larger crowds of pilgrims.

What is the name of the liturgical lantern in the Basilica of Saint Denis?

The entire church shone so brightly that it was called Lucerna, the lantern.

What were the external supports used in Saint Denis?

And in another part of France, architects had begun using external supports called flying buttresses. Finally, there were those experimenting with rib vaults that provided support for the ceiling. The interior of Saint Denis is spacious, bright, and open.

What was the first element of Saint-Denis to be rebuilt?

The first element of Saint-Denis to be rebuilt was the western façade. Two key imperatives drove this decision. Firstly, the façade was seen as the least sacred portion of the old basilica; its redesign and reconstruction could therefore be accomplished with a minimum of resistance.

Where did the Gothic style originate?

West Façade. Image © Wikimedia user Thomas Clouet (licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0) The origin of Gothic architecture, a style which defined Europe in the later Middle Ages, can be traced to a single abbey church in the northern suburbs of Paris. The Basilique royale de Saint-Denis (Royal Basilica of Saint-Denis), constructed on the site ...

What is the name of the first Gothic church?

Eugène Viollet-le-Duc (Public Domain). ImageElevation (1860) Today, the Basilica of Saint-Denis is recognized as the very first example of Gothic art and architecture. Returned to the Catholic Church, it was officially granted the status of ‘cathedral’ in 1966.

What was the significance of Saint-Denis?

The significance of Saint-Denis, then, was not that its master builders pioneered these forms of construction; it was simply the first time that they were used together with the intention of creating a markedly different effect than that which prevailed in the abbey’s Romanesque contemporaries.

Why was the Basilica of the Passion so small?

The wooden Basilica, having both been a symbol (and necropolis) of Merovingian, Carolingian, and Capetian French rulers and housing relics from the Passion itself, was too small to accommodate the crowds of pilgrims it drew during feasts and festivals. [3] .

When did Suger become Abbot of Saint-Denis?

Despite the abbey’s significance, however, it would not be altered in any meaningful way for half a millennium. [2] In 1122 Suger became Abbot of Saint-Denis at a time when the abbey itself was badly in need of renovation.

When was the abbey church rebuilt?

For eighty years, the abbey church remained an awkward, eclectic hybrid of architectural styles. Work resumed on the nave in 1231, a project that included reconstruction of the upper works of the choir in order to ensure a relatively unified aesthetic.

What was the name of the cathedral that was built in the 1100s?

Abbot Suger’s innovative renovation of St. Denis in the 1100s, laid the foundation for the great Gothic cathedrals of France: not only in Paris, but in Chartres, Reims, and so many other cities.

Who built the first chapel in Paris?

St. Genevieve, another great saint of Paris, built the first chapel here in 475, and St. Denis’ relics have gravitated back and forth between this site and Paris for centuries, returning to the basilica for good in 1819.

Who was the first bishop of Paris?

The story of the basilica begins with the first bishop of Paris, St. Denis, the namesake of the church. Legend has it that after his martyrdom in 250 on Montmartre (the Mount of Mars transformed into the Mount of Martyrs), he picked up his decapitated head and walked the six miles to the site of the future church. St.

What dynasties used the church for burials?

An architectural revolution had been born. The Capetian and Bourbon dynas ties continued to use the church for royal burials and it also served as the place of coronation for queens. This led to the interment of the relics of another great saint, St. Louis IX, king of France.

What is the Gothic architecture of Saint Denis?

Gothic Architecture: The Abbey Church of Saint Denis. The Abbey Church of Saint Denis is known as the first Gothic structure and was developed in the 12th century by Abbot Suger.

What style of architecture is the Basilica of Saint Denis?

The Basilica of Saint Denis is an architectural landmark, the first major structure of which a substantial part was designed and built in the Gothic style . Both stylistically and structurally, it heralded the change from Romanesque architecture to Gothic architecture .

What was Louis IX's patronage?

Louis IX’s artistic and architectural patronage was both innovative and highly influential among European royalty. Louis IX was made a saint in 1297, and remains the only French monarch to have been canonized. Sainte-Chapelle epitomized the Rayonnant Gothic style of architecture.

What is the period of French Gothic architecture?

Rayonnant Gothic: The period of French Gothic architecture between c. 1240 and 1350, characterized by a shift in focus away from the High Gothic mode of great scale and height toward a greater concern for two dimensional surfaces and the repetition of decorative motifs at different scales.

What was the first Gothic cathedral?

The Abbey Church of Saint Denis provided an architectural model for cathedrals and abbeys of northern France, England, and other European countries. In the 12th century, Abbot Suger rebuilt portions of the church using innovative structural and decorative features that were drawn from a number of sources, resulting in the first truly Gothic ...

How long did it take to build the Cologne Cathedral?

Construction began in 1248 and took, with interruptions, until 1880 to complete—a period of over 600 years. It is 144.5 metres long, 86.5 m wide, and its two towers are 157 m tall.

Which cathedrals were part of the Perpendicular Gothic period?

Gothic architecture continued to flourish in England for 100 years after the precepts of Renaissance architecture were formalized in Florence in the early 15th century. Gloucester Cathedral: The Gloucester Cathedral exemplifies the Perpendicular Gothic Period.

What is the first Gothic masterpiece?

Built in the early gothic style, the Basilique Cathédrale de Saint-Denis is said to be the first gothic masterpiece, though not all of it could be construed as gothic per se.

What is the gothic movement?

As explained last time, gothic was a stylistic movement that aimed to bring more light and more airiness to buildings, opening up the space and lifting the ceiling to the heavens.

Where is the Basilica of Saint Denis?

The Basilica of Saint Denis is located to the north of Paris, outside of the city. You need to take the metro (Line 13, Basilique de Saint-Denis stop) to get there which can take 30 to 45 minutes with walking time.

Who is on the stained glass windows of the axial chapel?

The two figures of Abbot Suger on the stained glass windows of the axial chapel, the one on the left in the scene of the Annunciation wearing simple Benedictine robes and the one on the right offering a stained glass window, dressed in ceremonial robes.

Why is Abbot Suger so famous?

Abbot Suger is actually quite famous for being one of the pioneers of the gothic and justifying the major expense of his building campaigns by attributing them to divine calling and the advice of the priests.

History of The Basilica

The Rebuilding of Saint Denis

  • The Abbey of Saint Denis was an important structure, but by the twelfth century it simply could not keep up with the growing number of pilgrims who visited it. It needed to be renovated, and the person to volunteer for that job was Abbot Suger, a French holy man and advisor to the king. Suger became the abbot of Saint Denis around 1122 and began pr...
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Significance of Suger's Renovation

  • The remodeled western façade was pretty consistent with the dominant Romanesquestyle of medieval Europe because Suger had no need to change it. The choir and interior, however, had to be updated to accommodate larger crowds of pilgrims. Abbot Suger needed to create more interior space, and the best way to do that was to decrease the number of interior supports and r…
See more on study.com