The Sainte-Chapelle and the construction of sacral monarchy : royal architecture in thirteenth-century Paris

This Book Offers A Novel Perspective On One Of The Most Important Monuments Of French Gothic Architecture, The Sainte-chapelle, Constructed In Paris By King Louis Ix Of France Between 1239 And 1248 Especially To Hold And To Celebrate Christ's Crown Of Thorns. Meredith Cohen Argues That The Chapel's Architecture, Decoration, And Use Conveyed The Notion Of Sacral Kingship To Its Audience In Paris And In Greater Europe, Thereby Implicitly Elevating The French King To The Level Of Suzerain, And Establishing An Early Visual Precedent For The Political Theories Of Royal Sovereignty And French Absolutism. By Setting The Chapel Within Its Broader Urban And Royal Contexts, This Book Offers New Insight Into Royal Representation And The Rise Of Paris As A Political And Cultural Capital In The Thirteenth Century-- 1. The Making Of A Royal City: Paris And The Architecture Of Philip Augustus -- 2. The Sainte-chapelle: Parisian Rayonnant And The New Royal Architecture -- 3. The Architecture Of Sacral Kingship -- 4. Private, Public, And The Promotion Of The Cult Of Kings -- 5. Louis' Later Patronage In Paris -- Conclusion. Meredith Cohen University Of California, Los Angeles. Bases On The Author's Thesis (ph. D.--columbia University, 2004). Includes Bibliographical References (pages 269-286) And Index. Cover 1 Half-title 3 Title page 5 Copyright information 6 Dedication 7 Table of contents 9 Acknowledgments 11 List of abbreviations 13 Introduction 15 Approach and Orientation 19 Beyond the Building: Reception, Space, and History 21 Chapter Outline 24 1 The Making of a Royal City 28 1.1 The Urban Power Structure and the Architectural Programs of Philip Augustus 29 1.2 Demographics and the Urban Transformation 43 1.3 The New Look of Paris: The Rayonnant City 47 2 The Sainte-Chapelle 80 2.1 Architecture and Aesthetics 81 2.2 Proportions and Dimensions 89 2.3 Sculptural Decoration 99 2.4 The Royal Chapel and Rayonnant Architecture 106 2.5 The Sainte-Chapelle and Amiens 120 3 The Architecture of Sacral Kingship 127 3.1 Distant Kin: Imperial and Royal Reliquary Chapels beyond France 129 3.2 Capetian Palatine Chapels and the Sanctuaries of the Palais de la Cité 139 3.3 Saint-Germain en Laye 145 3.4 Local Sources: The Bishop’s Chapel and Ecclesiastical Architecture 149 3.5 The Representation of Royal Sanctity 156 4 Private, Public, and the Promotion of the Cult of Kings 160 4.1 The Design of the Palais de la Cité 162 4.2 Indulgences and Liturgy 165 4.3 Setting the Stage: The Lower and Upper Chapels 171 The Lower Chapel 172 The Upper Chapel 173 4.4 The Chapel in the City: Processions and Public Display 178 4.5 The Liturgy of the Crown of Thorns and the Cult of Kings 181 4.6 Royal Sovereignty 183 5 Louis’ Later Patronage in Paris 185 Conclusion 209 Appendix 1 Who Devised the Sainte-Chapelle? 215 Appendix 2 The Donjons of Philip Augustus 217 Appendix 3 Dates and Documents 219 The Documents 222 Privileges Granted to the Sainte-Chapelle 223 Indulgences Granted to the Sainte-Chapelle 225 Episcopal Bull (October 2, 1244, Paris) 226 First Foundation of the Sainte-Chapelle (January, 1246, Paris) 226 Papal Bull (November 6, 1246, Lateran) 233 Papal Bull (November 6, 1246, Lyon) 234 Arch/Episcopal Bull (April, 1248, Paris) 234 Bull from the Papal Legate (May 27, 1248, Paris) 235 Second Foundation of the Sainte-Chapelle 237 (August, 1248, Aigues-Mortes) 237 Additional Indulgences Granted to the Sainte-Chapelle 241 Papal Bull (October 25, 1265, Perugia) 241 Paris, AN L 619.12. Original, seal lost. 241 Papal Bull (October 25, 1265, Perugia) 241 Appendix 4 The Dimensions of the Sainte-Chapelle 242 Notes 245 Introduction 245 1 The Making of a Royal City: Paris and the Architecture of Philip Augustus 250 2 The Sainte-Chapelle: Parisian Rayonnant and the New Royal Architecture 257 3 The Architecture of Sacral Kingship 261 4 Private, Public, and the Promotion of the Cult of Kings 266 5 Louis’ Later Patronage in Paris 273 Conclusion 279 Appendix 1 280 Appendix 3 280 Appendix 4 281 Bibliography 283 Primary Sources, Manuscripts 283 Primary Sources, Printed 284 Secondary Sources 285 Works Published before 1851 285 Works Published after 1851 285 Index 301 Plates 309 The Importance Of Cultural Contacts In The East Mediterranean Has Long Been Recognized And Is The Focus Of Ongoing International Research. Fieldwork In The Aegean, Egypt, Cyprus, And The Levant Continues To Add To Our Understanding Of The Nature Of This Contact And Its Social And Economic Significance, Particularly To The Cultures Of The Aegean. Despite Sophisticated Discussion Of The Archaeological Evidence, In Particular On The Part Of Aegean And Mediterranean Archaeologists, There Has Been Little Systematic Attempt To Incorporate Anthropological Perspectives On Materiality And Exchange Into Archaeological Narratives Of This Material. This Book Addresses That Gap And Integrates Anthropological Discourse On Contact, Examining Exchange Systems, The Gift, Notions Of Geographical Distance And Power, Colonization, And Hybridization. Furthermore, It Develops A Social Narrative Of Culture Contact In The Mediterranean Context, Illustrating The Reasons Communities Chose To Engage In International Exchange, And How This Impacted The Construction Of Identities Throughout The Region. While Traditional Archaeologies In The East Mediterranean Have Tended To Be Reductive In Their Approach To Material Culture And How It Was Produced, Used, And Exchanged, This Book Reviews Current Research On Material Culture, Focusing On Issues Such As The Biography Of Objects, Inalienable Possessions, And Hybridization - Exploring How These Issues Can Further Illuminate The Material World Of The Communities Of The Bronze Age Mediterranean.--publisher's Website. Introduction: Connected Worlds -- Colonies In The Bronze Age Mediterranean -- Entangled Worlds: Hybridization And An International Style -- Greeting Gifts And Competitive Gift Exchange -- Commodities, Luxuries And The Creation Of Desire -- Technologies Of Enchantment -- Materiality And The Biography Of Objects -- Conclusions. Louise Steel. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "This book offers a novel perspective on one of the most important monuments of French Gothic architecture, the Sainte-Chapelle, constructed in Paris by King Louis IX of France between 1239 and 1248 especially to hold and to celebrate Christ's Crown of Thorns. Meredith Cohen argues that the chapel's architecture, decoration, and use conveyed the notion of sacral kingship to its audience in Paris and in greater Europe, thereby implicitly elevating the French king to the level of suzerain, and establishing an early visual precedent for the political theories of royal sovereignty and French absolutism. By setting the chapel within its broader urban and royal contexts, this book offers new insight into royal representation and the rise of Paris as a political and cultural capital in the thirteenth century"-- Provided by publisher