Suger

Suger , 1081-1151, French cleric and statesman, abbot of Saint-Denis from 1122, minister of kings Louis VI and Louis VII. Born into a peasant family and educated at the abbey of Saint-Denis, Suger was noted for his financial ability and his talent for conciliation. In 1147, Louis VII left on crusade and appointed a council of regency, of which Suger was the leading member. During his administration (1147-49) Suger succeeded in maintaining peace at home and in raising funds to meet the king's expenses. He liberated the abbey at Saint-Denis from the tribute formerly paid to exploiters, recovered alienated properties, built a new church, and enriched it with works of art; the church is sometimes considered the first great work of Gothic architecture . At the same time he introduced a more severe discipline. His biography of Louis VI, whom he had known as a classmate, remains an important historical source; he also wrote fragments of a life of Louis VII, an account of his renovation of Saint-Denis (tr. 1946), and a work on his administration of the abbey.

Suger (c.1081–1151), Abbot of St-Denis from 1122. Though of humble origins, for much of his life Suger was an influential adviser to the French Crown; during Louis VII's absence on the Second Crusade he was one of the regents. His Life of Louis VI is a primary historical source. His new church at St-Denis, of which he left an account, was a crucial step in the development of Gothic architecture.