Abbey Church of St. Denis
St. Denis, France
Style: Early, b. 1137 c. 1144
Height: 94 ft

Summary:
   "Saint-Denis is a northern suburb of Paris and lies on the right bank of the Seine. It is centred on its famous abbey church, which had been the burial place of the kings of France. The church is of major importance in the history of architecture, being the first major edifice marking the transition from the Romanesque to the Gothic style and serving as a model for most of the late 12th-century French Gothic cathedrals, including those at Chartres and Senlis." exerpted from Web Gallery of Art

   An interesting note on the origin of the cathedral's patron saint- St. Denis was sent from Rome to convert the pagan Gauls in the year 90 AD. He became the first bishop of Paris and was martyred by decapitation there. Legend has it that after his head was cut off, his body picked it up and carried it six miles to the spot where the Church stands today.