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| 1080/1081 | Sugerius is born near Saint-Denis or in Toury (?). | |
| 1091 | Sugerius is given as an "oblat" to the abbey of Saint-Denis by his father. During the following years, he is studying mainly at the abbey. He is supposed to have met Louis the Fat (future king Louis 7th) there. He becomes his friend and confident. | |
| 1106 | Sugerius is in charge of the secretary of the abbot Adam in Saint-Denis. The same year, he is appointed provost of Bernevalle. | |
| 1107 | Louis the Fat is crowned king Louis 7th. | |
| 1108 | Sugerius is appointed provost of Toury | |
| 1109 | Louis 7th sends Sugerius as ambassador to the pope Gelasius 2nd, who is at that moment in Maguelonne (southern France). | |
| 1118 | Sugerius is appointed by the king and in the name of the church with special missions to the pope in Italy, to lay and church lords within the french kingdom and in other regions of today's France. He participates in the concile of Lateran. On these occasions he can visit Rome, Ravenna, Florence, and other historical cities and discovers their beauties and treasures... | |
| 1121-1123 | During these years he stays the most of his time at the court of the pope Calixte 2nd. | |
| 1122 | While he is still near the pope he is elected abbot of Saint-Denis. | |
| 1127 | Sugerius starts his reforms within the abbey and in the city of Saint-Denis. | |
| ab. 1130 | Beginning of the repairs and renovation of the abbey-church. |
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| ab. 1135 | Beginning of the construction of the east side. | |
| 1137 | First project for a new choir of the abbey-church. | |
| 1140 | Inauguration of the east side | |
| 1141 | The construction of the new choir begins | |
| 11/06/1144 1) | The choir is officially initiated, in the presence of the king. Further on are present : 5 archbishops, 18 bishops, a legate, sent especially for this occasion by the pope and an unknown number of of lay Lords. The bones of Saint Denis are transferred into a new place, in the new crypt below the High Altar. Sugerius writes in his "Liber de rebus in administratione sua gestis" . . . after 3 years, 3 months, and 3 days . . . [of construction] | |
| 1144 - 1151 | During these years the windows of the ambulatory are manufactured. Only a few rests of these remain today... Sugerius supervises personally their elaboration for the ambulatory. He had made a provision of 700 pounds for their manufacturing! "... we engaged many masters of different countries who painted with their delicate hands the new windows, as well for the lower as well as for the upper windows.... the first, which begins the series shows the descendance tree of Jesse in the apse of the building, up to the window over the main entrance.... one of them represents the apostle Paul turning a milling wheel..." (Extract from "Liber de rebus in administratione sua gestis") | |
| 13/01/1151 | Sugerius dies in his abbey of Saint-Denis | |
| 1151 | The portal which is called "Portal of the Valois" is finished;all further renovation and extensions which Sugerius wanted to do are interrupted during 80 years after his death... | |
| 1) | This date is considered to be the birthday of the gothic architecture. Sugerius, with the help of an unknown, talented architect, succeeded by using piers, ogee arches and the rose to integrate windows which were enormous compared to those known at that moment; he realises to let the light come into the church, permitting to the faithful to see more clearly the reliques which were shown there. | |
| Most of the methods and techniques used were already known and proven elsewhere, like in Normandy, in the Loire region, or in Sens. Sugerius, for his abbey, assembled those different elements as a synthesis, added the great windows, the rose, and for the first time, carved statues and the carved archivolts at the main portal on the west front. | ||
| In his speech during this inauguration, Sugerius, speaks about the symbolism between God and the light. His public is composed exclusively by members of Lord families, who thought about constructing monuments in the the glory of God (and in their glory) in order to obtain a place in the paradise. This is one of the main reason, why this style spread like a fire all over Europe in less than 150 years, from Italy to England, from Portugal to the Baltic's. French architects, masters, with their workmen went to Sweden (Uppsala) or to Switzerland (Lausanne) to build cathedrals there; Guillaume de Sens goes to Canterbury to repair the destructions after the fire, the Swabian Peter Parler goes to Prague with his son, after having worked in Strassburg and Freiburg. |
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| Everywhere in Europe (even in Minor Asia and in the Holy Lands), with exception of the countries where the orthodox religion is predominant, you can find traces of those constructions, with very important differences and variations, sometimes. These differences can be explained by geographic reasons : they use bricks made of baked clay, e.g. in regions where there is no natural stone and the transport costs are too high (north of Germany, and all the surrounding regions of the Baltic Sea); or like the painted roofs in Burgundy, South Germany and Austria. The taste or liking of the client and the price he can and will afford for the decoration, paintings, carvings or windows, play another role. More about Sugerius ... |