The division between this lower portion and the two towers that rose above was demarcated by crenellations. A series of “trios” in the design referenced the Holy Trinity: three doors, three vertical strata, and several groups of triple arches form the lower portion of the façade. Work on the western façade commenced in 1135, proceeding under two different Master Masons in the following five years. It therefore followed that this face of the building would be the first that most pilgrims would see – their first impression of the abbey, then, would be that of Suger’s comparatively contemporary addition. Despite its being the least “holy” part of the church, however, it was through the western façade and its doors that visitors would have to pass in order to enter the building. Firstly, the façade was seen as the least sacred portion of the old basilica its redesign and reconstruction could therefore be accomplished with a minimum of resistance. The first element of Saint-Denis to be rebuilt was the western façade. Save this picture! Engraving of Funeral Procession of King Louis IX by Félibien (May 22, 1271). Unfortunately for Suger’s ambitions, he could not simply demolish the old church to make way for the new – it was widely believed to have been consecrated by Jesus Christ himself. Saint Denis himself had also recently been ordained as the official patron saint of France by King Louis VI, affording even greater emphasis on the abbey which bore his name. The wooden Basilica, having both been a symbol (and necropolis) of Merovingian, Carolingian, and Capetian French rulers and housing relics from the Passion itself, was too small to accommodate the crowds of pilgrims it drew during feasts and festivals. In 1122 Suger became Abbot of Saint-Denis at a time when the abbey itself was badly in need of renovation. Despite the abbey’s significance, however, it would not be altered in any meaningful way for half a millennium. The village was well-established before the Frankish King Dagobert established an abbey there in the 7th Century, but generous gifts from both Royal patrons and droves of pilgrims greatly elevated its status in both the Catholic Church and the Kingdom of France. Legend holds that after his decapitation, Denis’ body carried his head to the site of the town and church that now bear his name. In the 3rd Century, Denis, along with two companions, was sent to Paris by Pope Fabian as a missionary, and was subsequently martyred by the Roman Emperor Decius. Saint Denis of Paris became established as the patron saint of the Frankish people (a group of people who occupied what is now known as France) by the 7th Century.
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