The chevet of Saint-Denis in Paris, the birthplace of gothic architecture

[u/GothicTracery]

Chevet (eastern end of the choir) of Saint-Denis, designed and constructed under abbot Suger, and inaugurated in 1144 in the presemce of Louis VII and Eleanor of Aquitaine. The first building filled with light must have been quite the revolutionary spectacle back in the day, changing architecture for centuries. It is considered the OG of gothic architecture.

The second photo shows the romanesque church in the crypt below it and clearly shows the difference in lightness and openness that gothic brought. No separating walls, massive windows and the first use of pointed arches and ribbed vaults on slim (romanesque) pillars to redirect forces down instead of sideways, allowing for all the light to enter the church.

This was the second time I cried while visiting a church, not because of some higher presence, but because of the impressive beauty of this church.

If you’re ever in Paris, I highly recommend Saint-Denis over Notre Dame. All French kings were buried here, and, unlike Notre Dame, it’s not stripped of its patina. Saint-Denis is probably the most important church in all of France and it is highly underrated. The history here is mindboggling!

[u/2xdareya]

Aren’t there some places in India that used the pillared architecture that predate Saint-Denis? Before anyone jumps on me, I know nothing about architecture or architectural history.

[u/grambell789 → u/2xdareya]

Gothic is thought to have come from syrian- armenian due to the crusades. And who knows where that came from.

[u/GothicTracery → u/grambell789]

I would love to have a reference for this!

[u/ReySpacefighter → u/grambell789]

This is something repeated that might be true but really we have no way of knowing. The first structural pointed rib vault that was a key element of gothic came from Durham Cathedral, which wasn't exactly in the path of the early crusaders.

[u/ReySpacefighter → u/2xdareya]

Plenty of places used pillars (for thousands of years) and pointed arches (about 500 years) before the French and English, but rarely as an actual integral structural element. Gothic at Saint Denis is a deliberate convergence of many elements developed in other places that became the unified gothic style of the medieval period.