VN231 Gothic Studies: Basilica of Saint Denis

Gothic architecture was born at the abbey church of Saint Denis, just outside of Paris, in the 12th century and sparked a rapid and widespread revolution in art and architecture across France and Europe. Through structural innovations and masterful artistry in stone, glass, and paint, this new style made tangible a mystical philosophy of divine light as a bridge between heaven and the earthly realm.

With this special visit to Saint Denis, we’ll see both the initial masterwork that lit the flame of Gothic architecture for the following centuries, as well as more mature expressions of Rayonnant Gothic as the church evolved over time. We’ll meet outside the basilica to discuss its history and impact on medieval architecture, and then visit the church, the historic necropolis crypt, and the worksite of the fleche, an exciting piece of medieval architecture actively underway today.

Registration opens 25 April.

Matt Potts is a licensed architect in the US, where he practiced for 10 years after studying architecture in New York and Rome. He has lived in France since 2022 where he founded his own interior architecture firm. Matt is passionate about France’s rich built heritage - whether renovating a 16th-century manor house in the Burgundian countryside for his family, designing thoughtful renovations for his clients’ historic properties across France, or studying great works of Gothic architecture. He splits his time between Paris and Burgundy, enjoying the best of city and country life in France with his wife and their two sons (one human, one canine).