The reasons for the architectural features of the Saint-Denis Church
In 1054, the church became Roman Catholicism centered on Byzantium, and the form of the church changed.
The main part of the church has a high roof with a sloping dome and a square interior separated by a screen.
The main features of Catholic architecture are vaulted or semi-vaulted construction, heavy walls and narrow windows above, statues and paintings, which all show the beauty of the building. By the 12th century, the architectural character of the church had changed significantly, emphasizing the height and brightness of the building, and the abbot of the Abbey of Saint-Denis, Suger, used a dome with pointed arches and stained glass windows.
First of all, a stone ribbed arch appeared under the dome, which reduced the load on the top;Secondly, the use of pointed arches creates an atmosphere that is both high and open. Finally, the construction of painted windows highlights the characteristics of large windows with thin walls. Later, people began to explore and experiment, creating new possibilities for Gothic architecture.
Around 1190 AD, the architect ingeniously balanced the thrust of the walls with a bowl-shaped ceiling and added a semicircular arcade that not only concentrated part of the power, but also played a decorative role. The rest of the skeleton is supported by slender columns, and the large stained glass windows act as a barrier, reflecting light from the outside, making the interior of the church bright and beautiful.
The Gothic structure is made up of three main elements: prismatic cornices, cornices, and pointed cornices, which somewhat relieve the pressure on the nave and side aisles, allowing the columns and buttresses on the outside of the building to become independent. Stained glass windows are frequently used, accompanied by decorative paintings, which together create a clear story and a unique pictorial atmosphere.
This also reflected the level of ideological and cultural development at that time. The Crusades brought with them Hellenistic culture, which merged with the culture of the Church, and gradually formed biblical philosophy. This philosophy is primarily a combination of biblical meanings, patristic thought, and concrete experiences in the real world.
Thomas Aquinas is a representative of theistic philosophy, who argues for the existence of God from a teleological point of view, arguing that everything in the world is in motion, but at the same time requires a dynamic or"Source substance"to function, sustain and develop.
The Church of Saint-Denis was a forerunner of Gothic architecture, which skillfully combined pointed arches, stained windows and flying buttresses to become the driving force of Gothic architecture. Thanks to the diplomatic visits of Father Suge and the promotion of the church of Saint-Denis, many Gothic buildings also appeared in countries outside France.
The Church of Saint-Denis is a heterogeneous space that will gradually be assimilated by other buildings as time and space change, and give rise to a new wave of architectural styles, such as the later symmetrical Renaissance architecture and gilded Baroque architecture.
The social conditions of the time and the spiritual beliefs of the people contributed to a great extent to the restoration of Saint-Denis. The increasingly powerful monarchs wanted to compete with the feudal lords, so they used Catholicism to win the support of many. As the royal church of France, the Saint-Denis Church has had a huge impact and collective effect on people's psychology. It can represent the piety and reverence of the French people for religion.
When the church was rebuilt in 1135, the royal family reacted positively when the king allowed the donation of voting rights to the church of Saint-Denis. While many people donated, Suge also released some of his subjects and received a portion of the proceeds. To get rid of medieval architecture, which was characterized by conservative empiricism, a new approach was needed. As an amateur architect, Suge had a wealth of knowledge and passion, and he hired many assistants or artists to build and renovate in stages.
First, the dilapidated ruins at the western end of the church were demolished, and then a façade surrounded by minarets and towers was built to allow free passage for priests and worshippers during important festivals. Then a vestibule was built, consisting of three naves and three basilicas with cross vaults. Finally, the nave, built under the confession of the ** religion, was decorated with frescoes according to the rules of geometry and arithmetic, and the arches were built with materials imported from Rome.
Fortunately, this part of the church restored by Suge is well preserved, and we can clearly see his painstaking efforts. This echoes Vic's view that when people don't come up with a definitive answer to their perception of things, they rely on the tradition of empiricism to measure and judge things with reason.
As a result of Suge's foresight and planning, his architectural innovations were taken into account, the west entrance and tower were restored, a new entrance was added, and appropriate inscriptions were added to the gilded copper doors. Later, the upper part of the eastern part of the church was also enlarged.
Sugur raised the space behind the main altar and built a new altar and tent for the holy objects in the tomb of the Holy Martyrs. He gilded the front of the altar, added many jewels, and transferred the holy relics there. He then hired jewelers from Lotharinga to make a gold cross, one of the most famous ornaments Suge placed in the church.
Goldsmiths gilded the crosses and decorated them with precious stones and pearls. Due to the damage to the main altar and the compartment containing the relics, Suge rebuilt the altar with **inlays, inlaid gems on it, and rebuilt the compartments containing the relics so that the relics could be safely placed and people could stand**.
Suge continued to renovate all the dilapidated parts of the church, hoping to restore some parts and build a completely new church. Therefore, he first demolished the old Carolingian nave, preparing to add a radial chapel and semicircular arches above the extremely high altar. Here, pointed arches, double altars and partitions were again used to make pointed ribbed joints.
It's a creative work. The pointed arches give the church its steep, towering, and flat character, inspiring reverence and devotion to God.
However, these new parts were forcibly dismantled and replaced in 1231. Therefore, it is not known whether other supporting or decorative structures were also used. In addition, the most distinctive feature of the whole temple is the use of stained glass windows, the glass windows are decorated with biblical stories and simple and popular, profound religious paintings, with the spread of religious culture, the light emitted by the stained glass windows makes the church full of mystery and solemnity.
When people walk into the church of St. Denis, they feel a mystical and secular atmosphere, the church is filled with a strong religious atmosphere, people feel as if they are in heaven, and their souls are transcended and saved.
The church of Saint-Denis is made up of three main parts: the chapel, the transept and the rear chapel. The sanctuary consists of a nave and chapels flanked by chapelsThe post-chapel consists of a semicircular post-chapel, a cloister, and a semicircular chapel. These parts are interconnected. The sanctuary consisted of a large column supporting the edges of the inner arch, a thinner column supporting the outer arch, and three upright permanent columns supporting the arch of the middle compartment and the transverse arch ribs of the middle compartment. The sanctuary is the main body of the church of Saint-Denis, which can be said to be harmoniously balanced with the pointed vaulted roof, the walls are rectangular in shape, which favors daylight, and the whole church becomes spacious and solemn.
The rest of the building, not visible from the outside, consists of dense columns and pillars, connected by square windows. Focusing on height and solidity, the Church of Saint-Denis can be said to be very sensitive to the social reality of peace and harmony, while pursuing the beauty of union with God and ascension to heaven.
The Church of St. Denis is an important symbol of the explosion of Gothic architectureIt cemented the new style with its boldness, ingenuity, and imagination, and gave birth to a series of new churches that were second to none. At the same time, it also reflects the strong religious consciousness and high level of architectural knowledge in the Middle Ages.