Saint Denis: The Life Of St. Denis

The French Revolution was a time of great social, political and economic tumult in the closing years of the Eighteenth Century. The motivators pushing French citizenry toward revolution are varied in scope and origin. They range from immediate economic woes to an antiquarian class structure. Modern historians still debate the value of the changes that the revolution brought to modern society. The middle class made gains that would never be rescinded, but do revolutions always end in tyranny? In the years before the revolution citizens were rigidly constrained by the estates of the realm. These social strata had been in place since the medieval ages. The people were divided into three groups; clergy, nobility and everyone else. The clergy

Ziggy Marley once said, “God is like the sun. When the sun shines, it shines for everyone. God is for everyone.” In the same way, Abbot Suger built the Basilica of St. Denis so that sunlight would flood throughout the building and symbolize the power of God inviting visitors into the cathedral. The Basilica of St. Denis was an artistic response to the rise of the Catholic Church’s power for it was modeled to be a physical representation of heaven, which the church heavily preached upon. (Thesis) As the basilica represented the shift from Romanesque architecture to Gothic, Abbot Suger introduced new techniques that transformed cathedrals to look more spacious and “heavenly”. (Map Statement #1-Art History) By allowing sunlight to come

Critics argue that such funds, which are often used for the purpose of constructing or decorating extravagant cathedrals, ought to be used solely for the benefit of the poor and needy. In contrast, Fr. Havens expressed that all things which are good and beautiful glorify God and He has given us talents of creativity and craftsmanship that we may glorify Him. In other words, places of worship are constructed and beautified so ornately, not necessarily to be lavish or to abuse donations, but because giving and doing one’s best represents strong devotion to God and willingness to remember Him always. Our best and most beautiful creations can emphasize God’s eternal capacity to create, to organize and create life and meaning where there was only unorganized matter

The era of France Enlightenment and religion have a misconception that leads one to believe that they were enemies. The Enlightenment was not against religion but it was against the superstitions and the supernaturalism of religion. Philosophes during the era of France’s Enlightenment did not look to abolish religion or the Catholic Church of France. They simply wanted a separation of religion and state because it was believed that the state was based on reason and religion was based on morality. Religion and the Enlightenment were compatible and Dr. Sorkin argues: “the Enlightenment was not only compatible with religious belief,” it actually generated new formulations of that belief. One goal that was a reflection of the

Charles I and Louis XVI were put on trial for all the right reasons, making many mistakes throughout their reign. Deathly hallow of Monarchy is a relatable title to draw the attention of the young history students of Grade 9. The Deathly hallow reminds us the references of death and holy powers from the famous stories of Harry Potter. In this essay, we are using that already known terms to throw light on the two European kings who believed so strongly in their holy right to rule. They stubbornly refused to give up their belief even though the blade was hanging over their neck.

In “Social Order and Absolute Monarchy, written by Jean Domat, Domat argues that the absolute monarchy portrayed by King Louis XIV of France was created in the best interest of France. Domat’s audience in this document seems to be the middle class as well as the lower classes of France since Domat’s main goal of this paper is to justify the actions and amount of power held by the upper class and the king in an absolute monarchy.

One of the many challenges to traditional authority was evident in a passage written by Guibert of Nogent, which explained his view of the riots and brutality of the citizens of Laon against their bishop. The citizens lashed out at their bishop because they were tired of paying for taxes, which were to be paid every year to their lords, also fines were increased if the person done an illegal act. This passage showed a challenge to traditional authority by the citizens acting against their bishop and taking charge because they wanted more control in their government (ch. 5, rd. 2, pp. 176-177). The commune, which was the organization of people that attacked the bishop, expanded the economy in the central Middle Ages by the people of the town having to pay fines that were determined by the law to the bishop of Laon for their illegal acts. The paying of fines by the citizens put money into the hands of the church, which in turn filled the churches pockets with wealth, which in turn put wealth into the economy (ch. 5, rd. 2, p. 176). The wealth of the bishop boosted the economy because the bishop was the government of the town (ch. 5, rd. 2,

Raphael uses an example the King of France aims to seize milan while also maintaining his authority over his current kingdom. This example demonstrates how powerful the kings are and also their greed in trying to get more than they already have. We see that their focus is not on their people, but on gaining assets and acquiring new kingdoms. In Book One, More uses am accumulation of examples and anecdotes to emphasize the nature of authority in 16th century Europe. This European style governance is later juxtaposed with the style of Government in Utopia in Book 2. This highlights how the King of France is so nelgecting of his people, unlike the Utopian rulers. “Why do you suppose they made you a king in the first place,? Not for your benefit, but for theirs.” More through the persona of Raphael, warns against the power-hungry and ambitious

The 17th century French aristocrat Michel de Montaigne lived in a tumultuous world. With the spark of Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses, the fire spread rapidly to France. The nation divided against itself. The rebellious protestant Huguenots and the traditional staunch Catholics both viewed the other group as idolatrous heretics in time when that crime could justify execution. Consequently, Catholic monarchs throughout Europe felt the impending threat to their reigns, too, because if they supposedly ruled through divine right, what would change concerning the support of their subjects? After the peace-making Edict of Nantes, rehashing the religious conflicts of the century was forbidden, but seeing his country—and even his own family—torn apart, how could one refrain from comment? So in his writings, Montaigne has to write around his actual subjects. This isn’t to say, however, that he conveyed none of his ideas directly. Montaigne criticizes the cultural belief in a correct way of life, opposing the idea with a more relativistic viewpoint, though the way in which he presents it, as mere musings in personal correspondence, fails to effectively convince his readers.

In the basis of ancient medieval literature, there were at least three principle concepts that were guidelines for writers: the tradition of chivalry, use of power, and the art of courtly love. In her lais, or lyrical narrative, Marie de France uses all three of them, but not exactly in the traditional sense that men of her time favored. Through her writings, Marie de France has shown great focus on members of the aristocracy that were not as prominently acknowledged, which included both women and single knights, and portrayed characters that she observed in real life in ways that did or did not conform to their stereotypes. Additionally, she challenged the roles often found in 12th century writings by using ordinary heroines and heroes to work through both genuine and figurative conflicts. Through the lai of “Lanval”, Marie subtly works through the theme of courtly love in a separate ideal setting that both challenges and reverses the typical gender roles without completely letting go of the accepted cultural standards of that time.

Abbot Suger of Saint-Denis(1081-1151) helped define and popularize two things in his lifetime: the Gothic architectural style and the peacekeeping and feudal mission of the Capetian monarchy, which enabled their ascension to dominance in medieval France. Suger has been regarded as the first person to recognize, describe, and analyze the socio-political structure of Capetian France as a feudal hierarchy, a pyramid of tenure with the king at its top (Grant 3). He is also commonly seen as an influential ideologist, a man who glorified the Capetian monarchy. Suger is best known for his architectural reconstruction of the Saint Denis abbey church, of which the renovations’ purpose were not only for the monks’ benefits, but also for the populace

The nobility of the Kingdom of France has been evaluated by various scholars of history. There is something to be said, however, for those who chronicled their impressions while living them in the 17th and 18th centuries. The excerpts of Charles Loyseau’s A Treatise on Orders, written in 1610, and Isabelle de Charriere’s The Nobleman, written in 1763 provide two very different glimpses on the French nobility from differing time periods. From these two accounts, it is clear that there was a marked shift in the way some viewed the nobility and their role in the operation of the French state. While Loyseau praises the nobility nearly wholeheartedly,

Many English monarchs believed in the divine right to rule. This right was given to them by God, therefore they believed that no one could take their crown or it would destroy the rightful line of succession. However, this was not always the case and some kings such as Richard II had their crown forced from them. If a king believed in the divine right he often had a close relationship with God. In William Shakespeare’s comedies, the divine right to rule a kingdom is present in the ways in which Richard II, Henry IV, and Henry V are come to rule England. Both Richard II and Henry V were powerful rulers, whose ruling was heavily dictated by their divine right to rule and their relationship with God. Through exploring the King’s relationship to God in Shakespeare’s tragedies Richard II, 1 Henry IV, 2 Henry IV, and Henry V, one can see that Henry V is the ideal Christian King.

Citation- Price, Munro. The Road from Versailles: Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, and the Fall of the French Monarchy. New York: St. Martin 's Press, 2003.

Chartres Cathedral is one of the most significant achievements of all the historical architecture. Additionally, it is entirely preserved with its original details. The unique features of the cathedral are intact, and thus when one visits the place, he or she is likely to encounter the authentic architecture work as it was done many years ago. Chartres Cathedral symbolizes an atmosphere of awe and holiness (Katzenellenbogen, 2). As such, it was built for religious purposes. However, it attracts the nonbelievers as well. As a holy building, it has many glass windows to light the building. Due to its height, a double flying buttresses is used to support the high nave. The cathedral was the first building in history that used buttresses since it was considered as necessary for the peoples’ culture and as a sign of authority. It was built to reflect a symbol of power since the religious leaders engaged in politics too. The cathedral has many statuses that represent the Biblical aspects such as Elijah, Isaiah, John the Baptist, Jeremiah, and Simeon (Katzenellenbogen, 9). The standings portray the Christian faith that was used by the architectures while building the cathedral. The interior floor stands thirty-six meters high and is one hundred and twenty-eight meters wide. The sizes show how vital it is and it can host many peoples who visit for religious functions.