Throughout history there have been many great pieces of art,
		some small, some large, some so old that they can hardly be  restored.  	
		Although this is all true, no pieces of art can compare to the 		  
		monumental work of the Romanesque and Gothic churches.  They are beyond 	
		gorgeous, with their many twists and turns, thick walls or flying  	
		buttresses, they hold much power and serenity.    

			Many of these churches emerged in France.  Two in particular, are 		
		Sainte-Foy at Conques and Saint Denis near Paris.  Something that sets 	
		these churches apart right away, is the fact that Foy is a Romanesque 		
		church and Denis is a Gothic church. Sainte-Foy’s floor plan was made in 		
		the shape of a cross, whereas Sainte Denis has no intended symbolic 	
		shape.

 			Sainte-Foy was constructed from 1050 to 1120.  It was dedicated to 		
		Sainte Foy, who was a virgin martyr of the third century, was martyred 	
		as a child because she denied the pagan faith and refused to worship the 		
		pagan gods.  Relics of saints were placed in the church for honor and to 
		preserve them, they were "holy" relics.  The church was built above her 	
		grave and still stands today in Conques.     

			In accordance with romanesque archetecture, the actual construction 	
		of the church was one of thick walls and small windows with a beautiful 	
		bell tower towering overhead.  The walls were made thick to support the 
		weight and the windows small to keep the walls strong.  What are known 
		as transverse ribs cross the underside of the cross the underside of the 
		quadrant and are supported by many clustered piers. The piers put a nice 	
		touch to the corners of the groin-vaulted walls otherwise known as bays.  
		Many murals surround the church so that the illiterate part of the 
		population could “read” the events and Bible stories portrayed in text.

			The giant relief sculpture of The Last Judgment covers the west 
		portal of Sainte-Foy.  It is where Jesus Christ is at the center of all 
		things and the wicked are condemned and those of faith are released to 
		live forever in paradise.
 
			In 1084 Abbot Sugar was born in France.  He was educated at Saint 	
		Denis monastery and would become the first bishop of France to King 
		Louis VII.  He would be the architect for Saint-Denis.  

			The difference would be tremendous from Sainte-Foy to Saint Denis.  
		There would be ribbed vaults to spread the pressure of the weight out 
		evenly across the top of the roof and flying buttresses to create a pull 
		on the walls so that the walls could be thinner as well as containing 
		grander windows.  Windows held many pieces of colored glass, creating 	
		figures, telling stories.  The stained glass windows of Saint-Denis  
		reached as high thirty feet.  Letting much light pass through the church 
		making it feel as if it was God’s place of refuge.  Pointed arches could 
		be raised to any height regardless of the distance between supports much 
		unlike the rounded arches of the Romanesque church of Sainte-Foy.

			All in all, with their differences and similarities, these churches 
		are outstanding in size and excellence.  They astound us today just as 
		much as the did before and will never lose their grace.