Today our first visit is to the very fist Gothic church in the world. The site actually goes back to Roman times when legend has it that Saint Denis, after being beheaded on Montmartre, walked her head-in-hand and chose this spot as his final resting place. Since that time Saint-Denis has been source of legend and a powerful symbol of Christian France. Around 500 AD Saint Geneviève, the patroness of Paris, led pilgrims here to adore the site chosen by the great martyr. A new chapel was built that lasted until around 700 when Dagobert, the Merovingian king of the Franks, decided to renovate the church and to make it his final resting place. Soon all the French kings asked to be buried here and around 1122 King Louis VI le Gros and his sage minister Suger deicided that the kingdom needed a great new symbol of its power. They brought all the greatest builders from France and from Europe to this site. The order was to build high and to bring light to the glory of God and the king. Gothic architecture was born here and soon spread throughout the Christian world.
First
Previous
Next
LastPlease send e-mail to M Lastinger to provide feedback about this page.
This page last updated on 5/28/2003 11:20:01 PM.