1. The Abbey Church of St. Denis was originally a martyrium located in St. Dennis, France until it was rebuilt there as a church beginning in 754 CE. Around 1135 CE Abbot Suger commissioned the reconstruction of the church into the gothic form it has today, the last aspect of his recreation being completed in 1144 CE. While the identity of the architects are unknown, Suger was involved in the reconstruction’s design. Later, Abbot Obo Clement would rebuild the nave in 1231 CE.
2. St. Denis functions as it did when it was built: it acts as a Roman Catholic Church, a pilgrimage location and a tourist attraction, and a burial site for many French kings and other French nobility. The original intention of Suger’s redesign was to use the church’s beauty to glorify god.
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St. Denis is a gothic church, and is often cited as the first church with a gothic style. It is classified as gothic because of its inclusion of flying buttresses and stained glass windows, a frontal facade with three sections, three portals with decorated archivolts, and a rose window. It also has an interior with ribbed ceilings, pointed arches, stained glass, and a sense of light and airiness.
4. Today, St. Denis matches its environment only somewhat well. Just as the church’s interior is spacious, so is the outside spacious, as there is a small plaza outside the church’s front façade with cafes nearby. There is also a tiny park to the building’s left. However, while the surrounding buildings are of similar masonry to the church, they are not in a gothic style. There is also a building to the right of the church that is coated in glass windows, a modern architecture feature that starkly contrasts the church’s traditional
2. St. Denis functions as it did when it was built: it acts as a Roman Catholic Church, a pilgrimage location and a tourist attraction, and a burial site for many French kings and other French nobility. The original intention of Suger’s redesign was to use the church’s beauty to glorify god.
3. …show more content…
St. Denis is a gothic church, and is often cited as the first church with a gothic style. It is classified as gothic because of its inclusion of flying buttresses and stained glass windows, a frontal facade with three sections, three portals with decorated archivolts, and a rose window. It also has an interior with ribbed ceilings, pointed arches, stained glass, and a sense of light and airiness.
4. Today, St. Denis matches its environment only somewhat well. Just as the church’s interior is spacious, so is the outside spacious, as there is a small plaza outside the church’s front façade with cafes nearby. There is also a tiny park to the building’s left. However, while the surrounding buildings are of similar masonry to the church, they are not in a gothic style. There is also a building to the right of the church that is coated in glass windows, a modern architecture feature that starkly contrasts the church’s traditional