Saint-Denis

building

decorative program

historical context

related objects

bibliography

Crypt of Ste-Genevieve's oratory with Merovingian sarcophagi.

Location of Merovingian sarcophagi

Stone with "Pelta" pattern from Ste-Genevieve's chapel. This stone was originally used in a Gallo-Roman temple.*

To the right is the reconstructed Merovingian chancel slab.


Basic Info
Dates c. 475, 628/639, 755/768-775, 832
Material Stone
Significance and Basic Concepts St-Denis was associated with the Merovingian and Carolingian kings, many of whom were buried here.
Patron Saint Saint Denis, patron saint of the monarchy

 

Dagobert's Church

Fulrad's Church

 

 

Merovingian Capitals

 


building

Statistics for Fulrad's Saint-Denis

245 ft long

25 m high (nave)

35 m wide (transept)

46 m high at crossing

101 windows

45 arcades

interior columns: 90, 5 of special stone

outside columns: 59 large, 37 small, and 7 of special stone - probably for an atrium

1250 oil lamps all lit on special days

C. 475 Ste. Genevieve built an oratory 20.8 m long and 8 m wide at Saint Denis' burial site. The oratory roof resembled that of a Roman basilica. Childebert extended the Church to 50 m. The monastery in Childebert's time included an atrium and churchwarden's house.  

Dagobert renovated and adorned the church with precious objects. He also had martyrs bodies transferred to little silver coffins. These coffins remained in crypt until the 12th c. Some painted stucco is all that remains of his church.

Abbot Fulrad built the new church donated by Charlemagne and Carloman, 768-775. However, a diploma of Charlemagne states that a new church was in 755.*Ê Fulrad's church had a small transept, short apse, marble columns and sumptuous capitals. The church referenced St. Peters and St. Apollinaire. Classicized elements, Byzantine influences and aspects of metalwork could be seen in this church.

Hilduin's Chapel of 832 contained a crypt with a barrel vaulted nave with two side aisles; arcatures were added in the 12th c. The nave is still extant.


decorative program

Dagobert I paid to embellish the church with a:marble tugurium set with gold and jewels, a gilded balustrade near altar with golden apples decorated with stones, a livered lectern and doors, a silver plated wooden roof over altar throne,   glazofiliacum, offertory box, large silver coffer, and gold and pearl embroidered draperies which hung between columns throughout church on ceremonial days. These precious items were made by/under Saint Eloi.

For Abbot Suger and those witnessing the enhancement/replacement of the older church the older church was bright with mosaics and gold while the newer church was bright with stained glass.


historical context

Merovingian & Carolingian Kings buried at Saint-Denis

Dagobert

639, buried to right of altar

Charles Martel

Pepin the Short

768, buried in front of the western porch

Louis III

Carloman

Charles the Bald

 

Saint-Denis was originally the site of a pagan cemetery. In time it became a Christian cemetery. Neither tended to be used by Parisians. After Saint-Denis was martyred, Catulla, a Christian woman, buried Saint Denis and marked his tomb. Ste. Genevieve then built the oratory c. 475. In Roman times the village was called Catuliacus.*

The Merovingians and Carolingians kings patronized Saint-Denis and many were in turn buried there. Clovis' son, Childebert, installed monks at Saint Denis and extended the Church. Dagobert I (628-639) gave the Abbey economic rights. Pepin was coronated at St. Denis in 754. His sons, Charlemagne and Carloman, gave the new church which Abbot Fulrad built. Under Fulrad and Hilduin, St-Denis was a center of Carolingian power and monastic life.*

Prior to being Abbot of Saint-Denis, Fulrad was archchaplain to the mayor of the Palace. Through negotiations with the Pope Fulrad facilitated the Mayor of the Palace's family's rise to kingship. This change in leadership marked the beginning of the Carolingian era. Since he had been to Rome Fulrad was familiar with the early Christian basilicas of Rome, notably St. Peters.* Upon his deathÊ Fulrad left Saint-Denis land in Alsace. These land holdings fostered an awareness of lands east (Meuse-Rhine).* This awareness can be discerned in later artistic choices of the abbey.*

Abbot Hilduin 814-840 introduced Benedictine rule at Saint-Denis, translated the Greek texts given by Emperor Michael the Stammerer of Byzantium to Charles the Bald in 827, and wrote the Life of Saint Denis around 835. He served Louis the Pious as his archaplain* and Louis the Pious paid for the book on Saint-Denis. Hilduin associated Saint Denis with Dionysius the Areopagite and merged them with Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite. In order to create more ad sanctus burial space and more space for veneration of the relics Hilduin added a crypt on the eastern side of the church.*


related objects

Saint-Denis possesses relics of St. Denis, Rusticus, Eleutherius, and one of the Holy Innocents which Charlemagne brought back from his mythical trip to Jerusalem. Saint-Denis also has the bones of Saint Peregrinus who was the leper who witnessed Christ dedicating Dagobert's church 2.24.636 Fulrad gave the relics of St. Cucufat and St. Hippolytus.

Several of the treasures of Saint Denis date to the Merovingian and Carolingian time periods.

The Cross of St. Eloi, a six foot high cloisonné cross which was placed above the altar. This cross was destroyed in 1793.
Two gold bracelets and gold figures of Saints Peter and Paul (at Louvre) given by Pepin the Short
Charlemagne's sword, crown, and a chessboard which had been received indirectly
The serpentine paten, a porphyry dish with gold fish, given by Charles the Bald

The remains of Arnegundis, the second wife of Cloitaire I were found there. Her burial garments were of wool, silk, and satin. Gold, silver and garnet cloisonné jewelry were also found in tomb. She had been buried between 565 and 590. Arnegundis was Clovis' daughter-in-law and Dagobert's grandmother.

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