Abbot Suger’s Gothic Architecture
Gothic architecture was born in the mind of a man steeped in a time of soaring aspirations. A world where the sky was the limit. The future was bright. Musicians were singing heroic chanson de geste, these songs of heroic deeds which were based on the exploits of fellow men, from the same area, in the recent past. The political culture was changing from the feudal system to the monarchies, bringing with it a sense of cultural identity. More and more people were moving off the feudal estates into the townsand cities, along the way gaining individual identities, including surnames, for the first time since the fall of the Roman Empire. With the relative security that came with the new political reality, trade flourished and expanded to new frontiers. Trade fairs were held at Troyes and Champagne, at the crossroads from Flanders, Germany, Italy and Provence. The goods there were of the utmost variety: cloths and wollens from Flanders and Northern France; silks from Lucca; leather from Spain, Pisa, Africa and Provence; furs from Germany; and linens from Champagne and Germany. The Italians also brought spices, wax, sugar, lacquer and dye-woods. There is also mention of cotton, grain and horses being trade. Educational intitutions were springing up. Since Charlemayne and later Pope Gregory the VII decreed all Major religious institutions to establish schools, learning had flourished. The times were ripe for great endeavors. Nation building was well established. The faithful were launching crusades to retake the Holy Land, and everywhere there was great fervor. Abbot Suger had a vision. He believed light was the closest substance to God’s true essence. He started from scratch to bring his vision of the divine light to fruition. In an nascent nation, in an area not known for it’s fine buildings, he gathered craftsmen and artists, masons, sculptors, goldsmiths, stained-glass painters from far and wide. In 1137 he began work on the west facade of the Abbey Church at St. Denis, and in 1140 he stopped work on the facade and abruptly began work on what was to become known as the first gothic edifice, the choir at Abbey Church at St. Denis. Surrounded by a double ambulatory and nine chapels, the outer walls of each chapel contained two large stained-glass windows reducing the walls to mere frames. “the entire sanctuary is thus pervaded by a wonderful and continuous light entering through the most sacred windows” Inside the Abbey Church, Abbot Suger prompted us to let the luminous brightness illuminate our minds so that we may behold “the true light to which Christ is the door” His vision was embraced by his peers, and propagated throughout Europe and then throughout the world. To this day Gothic architecture is one of the most esteemed forms of architecture and it is a tribute to Abbot Suger’s vision, determination and character.
A new, style of architecture emerged. Using pointed arches, ribbed vaults and flying buttresses, it was initially simply called “The French Style” (Opus Francigenum). The term Gothic was later tagged to this style and was originally used derisively, coined by Giorgio Vasari, referring to the barbarian tribes that destroyed the much cherished Roman Empire, especially at a time when all things Roman and Greek were making a resurgence, during the Renaissance.
Abbot Suger’s medieval stonemasons had to solve the problem of supporting heavy masonry ceilings over long, wide spans. The heavy stonework tended to put tremendous pressure on the walls, pushing them downwards and outwards, eventually collapsing them. Previously this had been solved by very thick, heavy walls. With the introduction of pointed arches, ribbed vaults and flying buttresses the stonemasons and architects had a new method of transferring weight to the ground. These features give the architects more freedom in delivering buildings that seem light and reach up to the heavens. The use of the pointed arch gives the builders tremendous flexibility, it supports greater weight allowing walls to reach higher and windows to be wider. The arch can not only support greater weights but can also span greater distances, allowing vaults to be taller and wider. In the ribbed vault, the arching and intersecting stone ribs supported the weight of thin stone panels, enabling the lesser weight to be transfered through the ribs down to widely spaced piers, instead of continuously along thick walls. The walls of Gothic buildings can be thinner because the weight of the roof is supported by the arches rather than the walls. Thinner walls had wider window openings allowing the use of stained glass and the magnificent Gothic Rose Windows. This also allowed walls to be removed inside, and the weight from above was transferred to thin columns instead, creating vast open spaces. As buildings soared in height, flying buttresses were added to distribute the weight from the roof and the walls to the ground. Gargoyles were added as waterspouts to keep the rain away from the foundations.
Suger was the Abbot of St. Denis, the keeper of the royal abbey, symbol of Royal power in France, where most french kings had been schooled, and where their remains are interred. Abbot Suger was a friend, counsellor, and historian to Louis the VI and his son Louis VII. In fact he was a regent of the kingdom while Louis the VII was on the Second Crusade. The Abbey Church, begun in the seventh century by St. Eligius, under direction of the Merovingian King Dagobert I to honor Denis the patron saint of France, had need of repairs by the time it came into Abbot Suger’s care. In this environment, with general fervor in the air, and the increased expectations of a young nation, Abbot Suger started a new architecural movement. The abbot believed that of all visible substances, light was the closest in quality to the substance of God. Abbot Suger wanted to share his vision and started collecting monies for his new church in 1125, and began building in 1137. Artisans from the Low Countries and from Italy were summoned, no expenses were spared, and the whole edifice was face-lifted between 1137 and 1144. It now had a new monumental facade added on the Western side, with bronze, beautifully sculptured doors; its interior had been brightened by rich, colorful mosaics; its ceiling extended heavenwards with ribbed vaulting; and fourteen tall stained-glass windows bathed the sanctuary in glorious light and drew awed attention to the dazzling jewel-encrusted altar. Abbot Suger’s friend, Bishop Geoffrey of Chartres visited St. Denis often during construction and it was the unity of design that most impressed him, the feeling that every design feature from the extraordinarily graceful reliefs, to the statues, looked no less important to the structure of the church than the columns and beams. When St. Denis was nearly finished, the Bishop arranged to “borrow” the Abbot’s stonecutters to work on his own west facade. In 1144 Bishop Geoffrey began work on his own cathedral, at Chartre, on the remains of the druidic and romanesque ruins that had burned down in 1134. Always famous, since even before Charlemagne’s grandson donated the cloak of the Virgin Mary, Chartres, in time became one of the most highly regarded Gothic Cathedrals, famous for it’s statues and stained glass windows. Concurrently St. Etienne was begun by Archbishop Henri le Sanglier at Sens. It became famous for its large tower bells, and was among the first to have flying buttresses. The Cathedral Crusade initiated by the extraordinary Abbot Suger, had begun.
Abbot Suger’s luminous architectural vision went through a series of refinementss it progressed through the centuries. As it became known, Gothic architecture, was variously referred to and categorized as Early, High and Late, or conversely as Early, Lancet, Rayonnant, and Flamboyant, and Early, Decorated, and Perpendicular in England. In all cases the buildings became more elaborate as the builders sought to out do each other, and stonemasons became more and more skilled in their craft.
Abbot Suger’s new type of architecture spread quickly. Early Gothic in France is generally agreed to encompass the cathedrals around Paris, which including the Abbey Church at St Denis, Notre-Dame de Paris begun in 1163 which brought with it the ogival (pointed) vault, and Laon Cathedral begun in 1165, which features colonettes, those clusters of narrow columns, which often run from bottom to top of the building to unify the different levels, and which can be found in many later English Gothic buildings. Although Sens and Chartres were started earlier, Chartres Cathedral burned down in 1192 and was almost completely rebuilt except for the west facade and the crypt, and the cathedral at Sens was built over three centuries. Common features of the Early Gothic architecture include 4 levels, which was created by an arcade on the lowest level, followed by two levels of galleries, the triforium, and the tribune, topped by a fourth story filled with windows called the clerestory. Window tracery and stained glass windows also began to evolve during this time. The eastern end of the cathedral’s terminated in a semi-circular area called the apse and on the western end we have the monumental facade with its huge doorway and three portals, twin towers, and large rose windows. Gothic architecture rapidly spread throughout Europe with fine examples in the Low countries, Germany, Spain and Northern Italy. England also has buildings considered early Gothic, but these were different, concerned with length more than height and therefore not requiring Flying Buttresses. They also terminated their eastern ends with a square instead of a semi-circle. These include Wells Cathedral begun in 1180, Salisbury Cathedral begun in 1200, and Lincoln Cathedral begun in 1192. In Italy, Gothic Architecture was not widely embraced as there was always such great respect for Roman and Greek architecture, and where it did surface, it distinguished itself by being mainly built from brick and marble, not stone. In Spain, Early Gothic architecture includes Toledo Cathedral begun in 1221, the Cathedral of Ávila as well as Burgos Cathedral begun in 1222, with the main internal architectural feature in these latter two cathedrals being a giant arcade rather than an extended clerestory. Germany expressed itself with vaulted hall churches, with side aisles approximately equal in height to the nave. The interior is lit by large aisle windows, instead of a clerestory, and were characteristic of the Late Gothic period there. St. Elizabeth in Marburg circa 1257, the earliest Gothic church in Germany is an example of a hall church. Magdeburg Cathedral is the first gothic cathedral in Germany, and Ulm Münster features the highest church tower. Early Gothic architecture came into existence when one man’s vision caused previously disparate architectural elements to be combined for major new innovative uses. Within a century Abbot Suger’s new form of architecture was evident throughout Europe.
The next phase of this building crusade begun by Abbot Suger, is mostly referred to as High, Lancet, or Rayonette Gothic. Examples include, Chartres Cathedral rebuilt after 1194, with tall and narrow pointed arches. The architect abandoned the tribune gallery, and, instead of increasing the size of the arcade, he managed, by a highly individual type of flying buttress, to increase the size of the clerestory. The clerestory features two tall lancet windows and a rose window in each bay, and became the standard for all later Gothic churches. Bourges Cathedral begun in 1195, had a stonemason who experimented with super-sizing the ground floor arcade and shrinking the clerestory, which led to the Bishop Evrard de Fouilly initiating work at Amiens in the year 1225 with architect Robert de Luzarches trying an extra large arcade and a full sized clerestory emphasizing new lofty heights achieved with delicate looking supports. These new experiments culminated with the mason at the Cathedral of Saint-Pierre in Beauvais gaining the unprecedented height of 157 feet, until in 1248 the choir collapsed, and in 1284 the cathedral partially collapsed, and finally in 1573 the new church tower collapsed. By about early 1200′s it was becoming clear to the architects and stonemasons they had pushed building sizes to limits of their materials, and engineering expertise. This led the builders to focus their energies on more elaborate decoration, instead of new engineering feats. The Cathedral at Reims begun in 1211 under the auspices of Archbishop Aubry de Humbert and designer Jean d’Orbais, became the site of twenty-five coronations of the kings of France, from Louis VIII in 1223 to Charles X in 1825, including the crowning of Charles VII in 1429 in the presence of Joan of Arc, brought with it Bar Tracery, which are stonework elements contained inside a window, this is also considered a design element of the decorated period in England. Sainte-Chapelle begun in 1246 in Paris by Louis IX of France to house precious holy relics including: Christ’s crown of thorns, the Image of Edessa and twenty other relics of Christ is considered the best example of Rayonnant Gothic, which takes it’s name from the intricate radiating stone tracery of the rose window, previously seen at Reims. Gothic architecture is characterised by light, and the Rayonnant style makes buildings seem so transparent that they appear lace-like from the exterior. Height was no longer the prime objective, instead the architects further reduced the masonry frame of the churches, expanded the window areas. Both the interior and the exterior of the typical Rayonnant church now more nearly assumed the character of a diaphanous shell. Other features include the thinning of vertical supporting members, and the combination of the triforium gallery and clerestory into one large glazed area. Amiens Cathedral from 1225 is often cited as its earliest manifestation. The viewer can see through the walls of these buildings from many different perspectives. This scheme was employed in the Cathedral at Cologne, Germany in 1248. Also from the Rayonnant period are the earlier portions of St. Ouen at Rouen, begun in 1318. In Spain, High Gothic includes the Cathedrals at Burgos, Le?, and Toledo. In England, Exeter Cathedral and York Minster begun in 1300 are examples of the Decorated style. High Gothic architecture took buildings to new heights, then found more elaborate ways to illuminate the interiors, carrying Abbot Suger’s creation to new limits.
Abbot Suger’s pervasive architectural vision reached it’s zenith in the late 14th and early 15th centuries. Construction of the Cathedral of St. Gervais and St. Protais began about 1195 and was completed in the 1300′s, it exemplifies the Flamboyant version of Gothic Architecture. It is generally agreed that this style first appeared in the west facade of the cathedral at Rouen in 1370, and culminated in the Parish Church of St. Maclou, Rouen, in 1437. Other noteworth examples are the north tower of Chartres, the rose window of Amiens. The most conspicuous feature of Gothic Flamboyant style is stone window tracery of a flamelike S-shaped curve, which gave the suggestion of flames. Flamboyant works exhibit high, attenuated proportions, elaborate traceries, and many canopied niches, crockets, and pinnacles. King’s College Chapel, Cambridge and Henry VII Lady Chapel, Westminster Abbey along with Winchester Cathedral begun in 1400 are referred to as being in the Perpendicular style, the English equivalent of the French Flamboyant style. Mudejar Gothic from Spain in the 1200′s to the 1400′s is exemplified by the Cathedral of San Salvador, in Zaragoza, Levantino Gothic from the 1300′s can be seen in the La Seu Cathedral of Palma de Mallorca, and Lonja de la Seda in Valencia, and Isabelline Gothic from the 1400′s at Saint John of The Kings in Toledo and the Royal Chapel of Granada. Flamboyant Gothic architecture challenged the limits of the materials, technical ingenuity of the craftsmen, and the artistry in buildings to new heights, until a new revolution swept Europe. The Flamboyant style and it’s contemporary Perpendicular style in England gave way to Filippo Brunelleschi’s Renaissance architecture in the 15th century with its ancient Roman forms, including the column and round arch, the tunnel vault, and the dome. Although Abbot Suger’s luminous architecture gave way to the Renaissance, it was never eclipsed.
Architecture was always an expression of someone’s’ view of the order of the universe. At a time when western human history was well and truly finished with a period of time that came to be called the Dark Ages, one man had the vision and wherewithal to express himself in such a fashion that it became the standard in his area of the world for the next 400 years. It has inspired Kings and commoners to experience awe. To this day Gothic architecture can be seen prominently featured in nearly every European town and city, and it is often the centerpiece. It can also be seen represented throughout the United States and many other countries. Gothic Architecture, concieved by Abbot Suger, as a manifestation of God in his earthly domains, symbolizes to many a celebration of the human spirit. Abbot Suger’s spirit is alive today.
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