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Abbey of Saint-Denis

Type Object Region Europe Time c. 1135

The Abbey of Saint-Denis was the traditional burial ground of the Frankish royal house and the center of French royal relics;…

Timeline

  1. c. 1135–1140Abbey of Saint-Denis · Île-de-FranceTo relieve the flow of pilgrims and display the abbey's royal standing, Suger demolished the old Carolingian west end and built a twin-towered facade with three portals and an early rose window. Sculpture and stained glass began to serve theological imagery, and the west front was put into use in 1140.
  2. 1140–1144Abbey of Saint-Denis · Île-de-FranceThe eastern choir was rebuilt 1140–1144: ribbed vaults, clustered supports, and ambulatory chapels allowed large windows in the walls. The new choir was consecrated on June 11, 1144, with Louis VII and other princes present, marking the birth of an imitable 'church of light.'
  3. c. 1145Church building sites in Île-de-France · Île-de-FranceSaint-Denis's structural combination was absorbed and magnified at building sites such as Sens, Chartres, and Notre-Dame de Paris. The abbey itself, damaged by war and revolution and later restored, remains a key site for understanding the 12th-century turning point in royal power, pilgrimage, and building technology.

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