The Father of Gothic Architecture

The Father of Gothic Architecture
Abbot Suger carefully combined architectural elements from the styles of different French regions to create a dramatically new one—Gothic. Pictured here is the nave of the Basilica of Saint Denis, looking towards the choir. Capture11Photography/Shutterstock
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On June 11, 1144, King Louis VII of France and Queen Eleanor led dozens of bishops and abbots in procession to the newly renovated church of the ancient Abbey of Saint-Denis. Their numbers were dwarfed by hundreds of clergymen and monks—and a much vaster congregation. After three years of construction, the church was ready for consecration.

Located near Paris, the original monastery was among the oldest and most important in France. St. Denis was an early Christian martyr who had been killed in the vicinity and was a patron saint of France. Strong links existed between the monastery and the French royal family. Both the saint and France’s kings were buried in the abbey.

But the monarchy’s devotion to Catholicism was just one of the things that the church of Saint-Denis symbolized. The rebuilding of the abbey coincided with an intensification of religious practice throughout France and with the growing strength of the royal government over quasi-independent and sometimes lawlessly violent nobles. The rebuilding of a magnificent new church demonstrated the monks’ spiritual commitment while signaling the monarchy’s wealth and power.

The Abbey of Saint-Denis before the north tower (left) was demolished after a lightning strike in 1837. Engraving by Julien Hippolyte Devicque. (Public Domain)
The Abbey of Saint-Denis before the north tower (left) was demolished after a lightning strike in 1837. Engraving by Julien Hippolyte Devicque. Public Domain
The mastermind behind the church’s architectural originality was the monastery’s superior, Abbot Suger. His “Book of the Consecration of the Church of Saint Denis” (direct translation from the Latin) reveals his understanding of and commitment to the project and is the most important medieval work on architectural principles.

Redesigning an Era

Architecturally significant, the Abbey of Saint-Denis reveals the first use of all of the elements of Gothic architecture and set the standard for cathedrals and churches of medieval Europe. (Petr Kovalenkov/Shutterstock)
Architecturally significant, the Abbey of Saint-Denis reveals the first use of all of the elements of Gothic architecture and set the standard for cathedrals and churches of medieval Europe. Petr Kovalenkov/Shutterstock

At Saint-Denis, Suger carefully combined architectural elements from the styles of different French regions to create a dramatically new one—Gothic. The use of pointed arches, typical of Burgundy’s architecture, allowed for higher ceilings. Norman architecture (Romanesque) generally used rib vaulting: crisscrossing arches that support the weight of a ceiling, concentrating it and transferring pressure to a smaller number of stress points. The ribs also reduce the total weight of a ceiling, allowing most of it to be made of thin stone. With fewer and smaller columns needed for support, larger windows were able to be used.

By combining ribbed vaulting and pointed arches, Suger revolutionized the interior structure of buildings, creating an aesthetic that appeared to soar higher while letting in more light. Opening up the interior space allowed for a brighter and more colorful atmosphere.

Light and color were central to Suger’s conception. They also stand at the center of an important architectural debate: Was Gothic an evolution of Romanesque or Romanesque’s antithesis? In fact, it was a bit of both. The shapes used by Gothic architecture did indeed take those of Romanesque and Burgundy architecture as their foundation. But the way they combined elements of regional Romanesque traditions with the vibrant use of color seen in the architecture of the Mediterranean region created an “anti-Romanesque” aesthetic. (Despite its name, Romanesque architecture was only partially influenced by Roman tradition.)

The fact that Saint-Denis was Suger’s creation increased his contemporaries’ interest in it. While today his name is little known, he was the greatest European polymath of his generation and one of Europe’s most famous men. Much of the symbolism of Saint-Denis reflects Suger’s own life and accomplishments.

A Serendipitous Scholar

Abbot Suger was the mastermind behind the architectural originality of the Abbey of Saint-Denis. Engraving of Abbot Suger by Zacharie Heinse and Francois Bignon, 1690. (Public Domain)
Abbot Suger was the mastermind behind the architectural originality of the Abbey of Saint-Denis. Engraving of Abbot Suger by Zacharie Heinse and Francois Bignon, 1690. Public Domain

Born into a family of humble status, Suger became an oblate of the Abbey of Saint-Denis at the age of 10. Oblates were preteens entrusted to the care of Benedictine monasteries. Once in their teens, they would be given the opportunity to choose between taking monastic vows or returning to ordinary life. Until then, they were in preliminary preparation to become monks.

For financially struggling parents, it was an appealing choice. As oblates, their children would be assured all the essentials of life: greater security than many had in an agrarian economy and educational opportunities otherwise beyond their reach.

Monastery and cathedral schools were Europe’s centers of learning. Monks and canons (cathedral clergy) dominated advanced scholarship. They hand-copied books in an age before the printing press. They ran and taught in the most important schools, laying the foundation for the first universities. Kings and nobles as well as popes and bishops also frequently chose monks and canons as legal, political, and religious advisers and officials.

"Suger Is Made Abbot of Saint-Denis," 1630s, by Justus van Egmont. Oil on panel. Nantes Museum of Art, France. (Public Domain)
"Suger Is Made Abbot of Saint-Denis," 1630s, by Justus van Egmont. Oil on panel. Nantes Museum of Art, France. Public Domain
Suger excelled academically and made an important friend among his fellow students: the future King Louis VI. Kings and princes were always on the lookout for talented individuals to advise and assist them. Even more than that, they needed advisers and assistants whose friendship was sincere. Serving as friend and counselor to both King Louis VI and King Louis VII, Suger was catapulted to the highest echelons of cultural, intellectual, political, and religious life.

The Abbot, the Architect, and the Historian

Light and color were central to Suger’s conception. The use of rib vaulting and pointed arches opened up the interior space, allowing for a brighter and more colorful atmosphere. Pictured here is the stained glass rose window of the north transept. (<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Basilica_of_Saint_Denis_North_Transept_Rose_Window,_Paris,_France_-_Diliff.jpg">Diliff/</a><a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons)
Light and color were central to Suger’s conception. The use of rib vaulting and pointed arches opened up the interior space, allowing for a brighter and more colorful atmosphere. Pictured here is the stained glass rose window of the north transept. Diliff/CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The sheer breadth of Suger’s accomplishments testifies to a rare individual. He was the greatest historian of his generation. As a statesman, he improved the administration of justice, advanced agriculture and commerce, rallied his country against invasion, and brought rebellious and tumultuous nobles under control. As abbot, he reinvigorated the life of his monks. His allies and admirers included St. Bernard of Clairvaux, who was one of the greatest monks, thinkers, and preachers in Catholic history. During the First Lateran Council (a meeting of senior Catholic clergy from throughout the world), Suger became a confidante of Pope Callistus II.

As an architect, Suger had his most lasting influence. The Abbey of Saint-Denis soon set the standard that inspired most of the great cathedrals and churches of medieval France and England. Suger’s written account of its construction became a leading influence on medieval architectural theory. The Notre Dame Cathedral brought to perfection what the Abbey of Saint-Denis had brilliantly begun.

Damaged by the French Revolution, the abbey was later restored during the 19th-century Gothic Revival. By now, it has survived for almost nine centuries—little altered from Suger’s own day. In 1966, it joined the ranks of the cathedrals it so strongly influenced when Pope Paul VI created the new Diocese of St. Denis, a fitting tribute to one of history’s most important architectural masterpieces.

James Baresel
James Baresel
Author
James Baresel is a freelance writer who has contributed to periodicals as varied as Fine Art Connoisseur, Military History, Claremont Review of Books, and New Eastern Europe.
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