On the Île de la Cité
In the Gallo-Roman era, the “cité” referred to the city. The first city of Paris was established on an island. The city quickly expanded, with two bridges connecting the new neighborhoods to the north and south.
The First Bishops
Marcel was the ninth bishop of Paris in the 4th century. In 360-361, he participated in the Council of Paris, which aimed to unify various church factions. That same year, Emperor Julian was in Lutetia with his army. Around 496, King Clovis chose Paris as the capital of the Frankish kingdom and converted to Christianity. The Diocese of Paris became very renowned and influential. In the mid-6th century, Bishop Germain hosted several councils in Paris. Two centuries later, Emperor Charlemagne and his successors recognized the Church of Paris with a privileged status. Subsequently, the kings strengthened the alliance between the Church and the monarchy, granting the Abbey of Saint-Denis and the Cathedral of Paris a special place.
The Old Saint-Étienne Cathedral
Excavations conducted during restoration work in the 19th century revealed remnants of capitals and mosaics beneath the forecourt. These elements prove the existence of a religious building from the Roman or Merovingian era, dedicated to Saint Stephen. This earlier church was located under the current forecourt. Not far from the cathedral, the Saint John the Round church housed a large water basin from the 6th to the 12th century, used as a baptistery. The site of the current choir of the cathedral was once the location of the old chapel of the episcopal palace, reserved for the bishop. The eastern tip of the island was occupied by a complex of buildings reserved for the diocese.
In the Early 12th Century
There are few writings from the 12th century about the cathedral. Étienne de Garlande, archdeacon of Paris, carried out significant embellishment works, including the Saint Anne portal, adorned with column statues. During the reign of Louis VI, Thibaut II, Bishop of Paris from 1144 to 1158, took an interest in new architectural trends. At the same time, Abbot Suger oversaw the construction of the new Saint-Denis Basilica, designed as a shrine of colored glass. The key concept was to bring light into the church. The new architectural techniques impressed contemporaries, particularly the art of stained glass. Abbot Suger of Saint-Denis donated a stained glass window to the Cathedral depicting the Triumph of the Virgin (destroyed in the 18th century). During the construction of the new cathedral, various elements were reintegrated into the Saint Anne portal, including the Virgin stained glass window donated by Suger.
