Last Judgment: souls in paradise
St Denis is a mediaeval abbey church about 10km north of Paris, and has been the burial place of almost every French monarch since the 10th century.
The original mausoleum for St Denis (martyred in about AD 250) was built on this site in the early 4th century. A larger abbey church was then built over the mausoleum in the mid 8th century. However the current basilica was begun in the early 12th century under Abbot Suger.
This is a detail of the carving on the archivolt above the central portal on the west front . On the left side seen here is a depiction of souls being taken to paradise by angels. There is a depiction of souls being taken to hell on the other side.
While the west front dates back to the 1130s, it has since undergone considerable alteration and restoration.
Last Judgment: souls in paradise
St Denis is a mediaeval abbey church about 10km north of Paris, and has been the burial place of almost every French monarch since the 10th century.
The original mausoleum for St Denis (martyred in about AD 250) was built on this site in the early 4th century. A larger abbey church was then built over the mausoleum in the mid 8th century. However the current basilica was begun in the early 12th century under Abbot Suger.
This is a detail of the carving on the archivolt above the central portal on the west front . On the left side seen here is a depiction of souls being taken to paradise by angels. There is a depiction of souls being taken to hell on the other side.
While the west front dates back to the 1130s, it has since undergone considerable alteration and restoration.