deliberate, prominent reuse of Merovingian marbles parallels that at Saint-Pierre de
Montmartre, Saint-Denis, and, if old accounts are trustworthy, Sainte-Geneviève and
Saint-Marcel. It must have served to emphasize both the antiquity of the foundations and
the continuity of their religious life.
The chevet of Saint-Germain-des-Prés is also noteworthy for the sensitive handling of
the architectural elements that reflects the three distinctive spaces of the structure:
chapels, ambulatory, and choir space. It should probably be understood as a reaction to
the new chevet at Saint-Denis (dedicated in 1144), as well as a statement of the
importance of Saint-Germain-des-Prés as a royal foundation and necropolis. The new
chevet must have been finished by the mid-1150s, even though the solemn consecration
was accomplished by Pope Alexander III only in the spring of 1163, by which time the
new royal tombs for the Merovingian founders must have been placed in the new chevet.
The new 12th-century chevet at Saint-Germaindes-Prés was accompanied by a new
sculpted portal, the lintel and capitals of which are still in place, added to the old west
tower.
Paris, plan of Saint-Germain-des-Prés.
After Lefvre-Pontalis.
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