Abstract
The rose window in the west façade of the abbey church Saint-Denis of 1140 is widely described as "innovative," without any further elaboration. Yet Saint-Denis serves an excellent case study for investigating the window type because it has unusually rich materials with which to contextualize its rose, including the writings of Abbot Suger, liturgical evidence from the altar dedications of the upper chapel that the rose illuminates, and the extant medieval border of the rose aperture. Drawing from these materials, along with new evidence provided by the restoration of the façade undertaken in 2012-2015, this study assesses Saint-Denis's western rose window in particular and considers the conception and meaning of rose windows in general.
Published Version
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