posted on 2017-06-30, 00:00authored byG. Massiot & cie
Misericords are shelf-like projections attached to the undersides of hinged seats in choir stalls; when the seats are lifted, they give support to a person standing in the stall; often ornamented.\u000a\u000aFormer Benedictine abbey (cathedral since 1966) in France, situated in the northern suburbs of Paris. The first church on the site was built in the 5th century ad, and Saint-Denis was the principal French royal monastery from the 7th century until the Revolution. Founded as the tomb and shrine of St Denis (died ca. 258 CE), evangelist and first bishop of Paris, the church became the main burial-place of the French kings and the depository for their regalia. The first half of the 12th century was particularly significant in its history, when Denis achieved recognition as the patron saint of France and the abbey attained the rank of chief church and spiritual heart of the kingdom. The partial rebuilding carried out under Abbot Suger, who left written accounts of his activities, has been interpreted as the first full expression of the Gothic style. The architectural history of Saint-Denis has three main phases: Carolingian, Early Gothic and Rayonnant.
History
Alt Title
Abbey Church of Saint-Denis
Date Created
1910-01-01
Date Modified
2017-06-30
Spatial Coverage
Saint-Denis
Saint-Denis, Île-de-France, France: 10 km from the center of Paris
Temporal Coverage
before or circa 1910
Cultural Context
Gothic (Medieval)
Rights Statement
To view the physical lantern slide, please contact the Architecture Library.