Suger
Abbot, regent, and architect of the first Gothic building.
Uploaded by Hedning to Swedish Wikipedia · via Wikipedia: Suger · Public domain
Suger is regarded as a precursor to the Gothic architectural style that emerged in France.[1]
Quick Facts
- Religion
- Christianity
- Born
- 1081, likely in Chennevières-lès-Louvres
- Died
- 13 January 1151 (aged ~70)
- Place of death
- Saint-Denis
- Resting place
- Basilica of Saint-Denis
Facts from the source article.
Life and work
He showed strong ability in Latin and legal matters.[2] Suger gained battlefield experience due to disputes with Hugh III of Le Puiset.[3] He was chosen as royal envoy to welcome Pope Gelasius II to France and arrange a meeting with Louis VI.[4] Suger was elected regent in February 1147 despite opposing Louis VII's plan to lead the Second Crusade.[5]
Suger's political career advanced after he became the secretary to Abbot Adam of Saint-Denis in 1106.[3] Suger served as provost at Berneval in Normandy in 1108, and then as provost at the priory of Toury from the middle of 1109 until 1111.[3] Even after his regency ended, Louis VII and other contemporaries continued to seek Suger's advice on both church and state matters.[6] At a 1150 gathering in Laon, Suger put forward a plan for a fresh crusade, which received backing from Louis and St Bernard.[7]
Among Suger's writings, the Life of Louis the Fat is his most significant and most frequently copied historical work.[8]
What the cited sources add
The symposium volume edited by Paula Lieber Gerson includes John F. Benton's paper "Suger's Life and Personality"[9] Anne D. Hedeman's account states that as early as the twelfth century, Suger succeeded in weaving together the destinies of France and the abbey.[10] Hedeman notes that subsequent abbots followed Suger's lead in promoting Dionysian involvement in France.[10] Hedeman's work records that Abbot Suger and other monks of Saint-Denis carried messages from Louis VI to the pope.[10]
Hedeman also documents that Pope Paschasius met Abbot Suger.[10] Hedeman's index lists Suger before Pope Calixtus.[10]
References
- Wikipedia, "Suger" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Otto von Simson, The Gothic Cathedral: Origins of Gothic Architecture and the Medieval Concept of Order, 3rd ed. (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1988) 6; von Simson, The Gothic Cathedral, 62. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Suger" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Their friendship may have been shortlived for Louis had left the abbey's schooling in 1092: whilst it is not certain that the two were friends yet, it is not un (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Suger" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: John France , Medieval France at War (Leeds: Arc Humanities Press, 2022) p. 79. OCLC WorldCat 1381142379.; In Ordinatio, he asks God to forgive "what I have done," and refers to himself as "clearly being an irreligious man." (trans. Panofsky, p. 123) (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Suger" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Pope Paschal II dies January 1118; John of Gaetani is made the new pope, becoming Gelasius II; Henry V marched on Rome and appointed Gregory (VIII) as an antipo (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Suger" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Willelmus, Vita., 394.; Initially, Suger and William, count of Nevers were chosen in an election dominated by St Bernard, with the rationale as "twin swords—the ecclesiastical and secu; "sive de nostro seu de vestro pecuniam sumptam nobis mittatis," [whether you send us money taken from us or from you,] in Recueil des Historiensdes Des Gaules e (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Suger" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Grant, Church and State, 278. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Suger" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Grant, Church and State, 279. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Suger" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Suger, VLG.; Suger, Hist. VII. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- John F. Benton, "Suger's Life and Personality," in Paula Lieber Gerson, ed. Symposium (New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1986) p. 3.. facts only, no text reused. archive.org
- Anne D. Hedeman, The Royal Image: Illustrations of the Grandes Chroniques de France, 1274-1422 (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1991) 3–6, 10.. facts only, no text reused. publishing.cdlib.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Suger (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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