Saint Denis Basilica

of Dionysus of Paris, and in 630, when King Dagober wished to be buried there, the basilica was rebuilt and became the main temple of the monastery. In 1137—1144 a monastery church was built - the first building in the Gothic style, which had an impact on the development of Gothic architecture in France. Since this the basilica the basilica has become almost like that we know it today At the beginning of the XIII century. Louis IX the Holy ordered to transfer the ashes of his predecessors to the basilica and create tombstones for them. From this moment the church served as the tomb of the French kings. 25 French kings, 10 queens and 84 princes and princesses were buried here. Part of the western facade, two towers and a porch belong to the construction of Suger

Saint Dionysus

1814 the basilica was restored and the remains of kings and their families were again buried there. Since 1815, the Institute for the daughters and sisters of the Knights of the Legion of Honor has been located in the building of the old abbey since 1815. Unfortunately, in 1846, the north tower was destroyed, which spoiled the symmetry of the facade. With the July Revolution of 1830, burials in the basilic ceased.
Saint Denis Basilica is important not only because almost all French kings were buried in this place, but also because of its architectural properties and the fact of the basilica had become the starting point for the formation of the Gothic style of architecture.

just an improved example of the Romanesque style. This was the first attempt to develop a new direction in architecture based on a critical study of the past. The prerequisites for the emergence of a new style were architectural innovations of the 30s of the XII century. But, it was in the abbey of Saint-Denis, which played a special role in the fate of the French kings, and was headed by the educated and energetic abbot Sugherii, who was able to gain the practice necessary for the further formation and development of the Gothic style.

first, he took up the renovation of the western (monumental western facade of the church, perpendicular to the main nave). Despite the fact that in the 18th-19th centuries this part of the building was badly damaged (the north tower had to be demolished after an unsuccessful reconstruction attempt), the spirit of a new undertaking undertaken in the 30s of the 12th century is still alive in its outlines. In plan, the westwalk has a depth of two spans and a width of three spans. Three new portals made it easier for parishioners to access the old church, and masked several chapels located on the upper tiers, the outer walls of which previously too protruded beyond the plane of the wall.

temple entrance) of which is equipped with groups of massive columns and a new type of vault with intersecting ribs, gives the impression from the outside that its architectural design, for the man of that time, had significant symbolism.
Thanks to the battlements crowning the facade, the rhythm and plastic of which are emphasized by powerful buttresses, the entire building looks like a triumphal gate, or an impregnable castle. It reflected the secular power of the abbot of Saint-Denis and the ambitions of the monarchy, which was gaining strength.

arch. The choir of the renovated church equally shocked the imagination of both a simple parishioner and an abbot. Also the basilica has a rich stained glass decoration